Enemies, right?
by nimblnymph
Summary: This wasn't ever supposed to have happened. They were enemies... right? SanzoxYaone.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This was extremely difficult to do! It's not easy keeping everyone in character...but I think I did a pretty good job of it. Anyway, this is the much awaited SanzoXYaone story I've been writing. And it's the very FIRST story I've had to save and come back to later! Usually, I just write, proofread and post...This story has been rewritten FOUR times now. I hope it works...

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"HEY! THAT'S MY MEATBUN! GIVE IT BACK!"

Lirin made a face and took off running with not just the one meatbun in her mouth but the whole plate of them as well. Snarling, Goku jumped over his chair and gave chase, leaving the four adults at the table. Gojyo swung at empty air as Goku shoved by him, pushing him further into the table and spilling his beer. "Goddamn brat!" He took the napkin Hakkai handed him with one last glare thrown after the two.

Hakkai laughed, shaking his head. "It's a shame, really. They took all the food with them!"

"A small price to pay for peace of mind," Sanzo added dryly, flicking ash from his cigarette.

Yaone frowned after the pair as well. "I wish she hadn't done that. I promised the four of you dinner for what you did today and she eats it!" Sighing, she pulled out the small purse she carried to check on her money situation. And sighed again when she saw she had very little left. The guys were buying all their drinks, which she felt bad enough for. "I'm very sorry. I promise you next time she'll be on better behavior"

Sanzo blew out a stream of smoke, catching the waitress' attention. "Next time we'll be fighting, so it doesn't matter."

"How right you are." This was only a small truce. Lirin had picked a fight with a god...and the four guys had come to her rescue. Sort of. Actually, Hakkai had almost run Yaone over as she was frantically trying to find Lirin. And he appealed to the others as gentlemen to enlist their help. It had worked, and as a thank you she'd promised to buy them all dinner...which had now disappeared.

"So, what are you guys having now?" the waitress asked, not bothering to hide the fact she was all but drooling over the three good looking men. Yaone hid her smile by sipping her glass of wine. It had surprised her a little when Sanzo ordered the same as her. She'd always pegged him as a beer drinker.

"Still thinking," Sanzo said, pulling his reading glasses from their case to see the menu better.

Grinning, Gojyo said, "I'll start off with fried dumplings and spring rolls. Then a big plate of chop suey with extra wrappers, egg drop soup and pork fried rice. And don't let me see the bottom of my mug all night!"

The girl wrote it down quickly and looked to Hakkai. "I'll have spring rolls, cashew chicken with extra cashews and a side of chili sauce. Yaone?"

Yaone looked again at her pouch. "I...I think I'll just have water," she said at last. With what they were ordering, she would be lucky if she could leave a tip!

She got the feeling a certain violet gaze was on her and, when she looked up and saw it was true, she blushed. "Just order already and I'll charge it to the temple."

Blushing even darker, she said softly, "Vegetable fried rice with brown sauce and sesame chicken, please."

Seemingly satisfied, Sanzo placed his order. "Two spring rolls and the sweet and sour shrimp." The waitress nodded and left.

"Make sure it's extra sweet. He's sour enough," Gojyo called after her, wincing when the sour person in question kicked his shin under the table. "Damn...that hurt you know!"

"Good."

Gojyo winked at Yaone and smiled. "A good thing we've got a medic at the table. So, nurse, gonna kiss it and make it all better? OUCH! GODDAMN IT!" This time his other shin got kicked. He scowled as he rubbed his leg and glared at Hakkai, who continued to smile pleasantly as if nothing had happened.

Yaone blushed even darker and stared at her folded hands. Best to quickly change THAT subject! "Thank you again for what you did today. You didn't have to-,"

"On the contrary, we did," Hakkai was quick to interupt." If we hadn't stepped in, Lirin might have been seriously hurt."

Or worse, she thought, stomach jerking at the possibility. Lord Kougaiji would have had ever right to take her head in exchange for that! Yaone scanned the growing crowd coming out to see the firework show for her charge. If Lirin ran away again...

"Over at the pot sticker stand with Goku," a low voice said.

She looked back at Sanzo, a little surprised he'd found them so easily. "Oh...thank you."

He stubbed out his cigarette and said, "You've said that almost seventeen times now. I get the point. You're thankful."

Her cheeks flamed up again, this time in anger. "Forgive me if I'm being polite. It might be something for you to try sometime."

Hakkai's eyebrows went up and he pushed his chair a little closer to Gojyo, who snorted his beer into his hand, laughing and choking at the same time.

Sanzo's eyes grew colder, more distant. It was...chilling, to say the least. It was like he was shutting off his humanity and becoming something so cold and unfeeling that killing would mean nothing to it. "Excuse me?" he asked. It was said in a very controled emotionless voice.

As daunting as that look and voice was, there was only one man Yaone would ever back down from. And it wasn't the monk. "You heard me. Not once at all tonight have you said anything nice to anyone, other than Hakkai."

"He's not annoying me," Sanzo retorted quickly. His teeth were clenched so tightly she thought she heard his jaw popping.

"Why, thank you, Sanzo," Hakkai said brightly. There was a tension to his shoulders that gave lie to the pleasant tone.

"And did you maybe think perhaps that it's not everyone else being annoying, it's you being bitter and sulky?"

Gojyo cracked up at that, covering his eyes with one hand. "Holy shit, the woman has brass balls!"

"I'm rude? What about Red over here who can't keep his tongue civil?" the monk pointed out quickly. The iciness had melted into a wash of flaming anger. Still, not enough to intimidate her.

"Hey, don't go dragging me into this! What the hell did I ever do?" Gojyo sat back up, surprised his name even entered the conversation.

Ignoring Gojyo's shouting, Yaone leaned forward a little and said, "At least he had the decency to ask if we were okay after the fight!"

"And THAT makes him more polite than me?"

"YOU said 'It's a damn good thing. It'd be a pain in the ass having to drive you to the nearest doctor.'"

Laughing, Hakkai said, "Yaone does have a very good point, Sanzo. Not to mention, she's a very accomplished healer in her own right. If they were hurt, they wouldn't need a doctor. She could have taken care of it herself."

Gritting his teeth tighter, Sanzo crossed his arms over his chest and glared anywhere except at the green-eyed man. "It still doesn't change a thing. Compared to the other two, I'm a fucking prince."

"Now just hold on one goddamn minute," Gojyo cut in sharply, slamming his empty beer mug on the table. "YOU'RE a prince? You're a royal something alright. A royal pain in the ass!"

The gun was practically jammed into Gojyo's mouth. Yaone jumped back quickly, almost into Hakkai's lap. And Hakkai continued to sit there as if nothing was going on. "Aren't you going to help him?" she whispered.

Hakkai chuckled and shook his head. "And have him turn that thing on me? No thanks! Besides, he's threatened death at least a million times before and hasn't gone through with it. Yet."

"Keep talking, kappa, and I'll show you the true meaning of pain," Sanzo said low and cold. He either was so focused on his target (which was sweating a little) and didn't hear the other exchange or he was ignoring it.

The waitress chose then to come up with their new food, smiling happily. That smile very quickly vanished and she stared at them, still holding two very heavy trays and looking a little too pale for her own good. "Um...ah...I-I have your..."

Hakkai stood up and took a tray from her. "Here, let me help you with that. I'm very sorry about my friends. Sometimes they get a little...carried away. Thank you very much for waiting."

The waitress was still gaping, jaw working with no sound coming out as Hakkai very deftly unloaded both trays onto the table. She took the two empty trays with her and went back to the kitchen, looking back every once in a while at their table.

Sighing, Hakkai sat down again and picked up his chopsticks. "We'll be lucky if she comes back to refill our drinks now," he said sadly, staring at his empty beer mug.

"Hmph, not my fault," Sanzo muttered, poking at a piece of shrimp like it was going to attack him.

"Not your fault? You were the asshole who pulled a piece," Gojyo argued around a mouthful of food.

Yaone decided Hakkai had the right idea by ignoring them and began picking the peas out of her fried rice. The most horrible vegetable ever grown, she thought, setting them all neatly aside on a plate.

"What are you doing?"

She looked up at the rather scathing tone. Oh, Sanzo said it. No wonder it was scathing! "I don't like peas," she said simply and went back to her work.

"You could have asked the chef to leave them out," he continued, pulling out his cigarettes.

"Most of the time the chefs make a whole vat of fried rice for quick use. I've always found it easier to just pick the peas out instead of having to wait an extra fifteen minutes for a fresh plate."

"You know, it's kind of funny, but Sanzo hates peas, too," Hakkai pointed out. He smiled at the new waitress who came over nervously, a pitcher of beer shaking in her hands. "Thank you. Is the other waitress alright?"

"Y-Yes. She...She had to go home, though. I'll be finishing her shift for her."

Hakkai's eyes flickered over three tables away to their old waitress, but he didn't comment on it.

The girl poured beer into Yaone's wine glass absently, keeping one eye constantly on some big men who were watching them now. Yaone stared at the amber liquid but didn't say anything. Well, alcohol was alcohol, and it was more than obvious the girl was terrified to be waiting on them. She would have been too if she didn't know their reputation already. Sighing, she took a sip of the beer, relieved it wasn't the cheap stuff Gojyo had offered her in the Jeep.

Sanzo managed to get his hand over the top of his glass before the girl could pour it. She drew back quickly, eyes wide. "I'm not drinking beer."

"Oh! Oh, I didn't know," she said quickly, eyes now taking on a teary effect. "Please, forgive me! I'll be right out with the wine!" She ran sniffling into the inn again to get the wine.

Gojyo watched her run away with narrowed eyes. "Five bucks says she doesn't return cuz old droopy eyes here scared her off."

"Another five says you can't outrun a bullet to the head," Sanzo shot back.

"So, Yaone," Hakkai said a little louder to try and drown out the other two. "It just occured to me that we've been...ah, 'enemies' now for almost a year."

Yaone looked up from her plate, eyebrows raised. "Has it really been that long already? It seems like yesterday..."

Hakkai smiled and folded his napkin neatly over the empty plate. Both Sanzo and Gojyo were now smoking and ignoring each other. "It really has been that long since the restaurant incident."

Her cheeks flamed up at that little reminder. Her botched assassination attempt. THAT had been a proud moment for her! She couldn't decide which was more embarrassing, the fact that she failed or had actually considered suicide. Why did he have to bring that up?

He seemed to sense your discomfort and said softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something you consider so embarrassing."

"It's alright...it was a year ago, right?" She laughed a little and smiled at him. "See? All better."

"You shouldn't be embarrassed about it."

She turned again, this time in surprise, to Sanzo, who was watching her from behind a fall of hair. "What?"

He took a hit and held the smoke in his lungs for a second before releasing it into the quickly fading light. "You shouldn't be embarrassed," he repeated. "Your disguise managed to fool all of us. Pretty damn clever if you ask me. More than I can say for those morons you've been sending lately."

Gojyo laughed softly, smoke curling from his lips. "Yeah, that's for sure. And fucking ugly as hell to boot! You know, Kougaiji might wanna consider sending prettier assassins...like you for example."

She blushed at the compliment, laughing nervously. Oh, dear... "Oh, well, um...thank you. I'll mention the suggestion to Lord Kougaiji as soon as I see him again." Not that she really would.

The red-head seemed to know she wouldn't. It was obvious in the playful toss of his hair, the quirk to his eyes. It occured to her then that flirting was just his way of making friends. Friends? Was she INSANE? She should be trying to kill them right now, NOT having dinner with them! "Yeah, you do that. In the mean time, since you're the only female here-,"

"-Besides Lirin," Hakkai corrected.

Gojyo waved his hand dismissively. "She's off spankin' the monkey or something like that! Anyway, as I was saying..."

Yaone tuned out his flirting and Hakkai's pleading for Gojyo to act like a gentleman and began to search the crowd again. Most everyone was crowding down around the square for the fireworks. And knowing Lirin, she would want to see them. She glanced up to the roof tops to see if her charge was there.

"They're asleep at the big table," Sanzo said quietly, lighting another cigarette.

Yaone looked behind him and saw that Lirin and Goku were in fact asleep at the long table, and that it was covered with dirty plates. Most likely from them. "I thought you didn't care what happens to Goku," she said just as quietly, a little surprised he'd managed to keep tabs on them when she hadn't. Hakkai and Gojyo were still busy talking and not paying attention to them.

Violet eyes flickered up to her, growing darker as the final light left the sky. The only bright color was the flare of red at the tip of the cigarette in his hand. "There's a difference between not caring about someone and knowing they can take care of themselves."

She smiled a little, glancing down at her wine glass full of beer. "I always just assumed that...well...he was your servant."

Sanzo stared at her for a moment longer before putting the cigarette to his lips. "Don't tell him that. Otherwise, I'd have to get cigarettes myself."

Yaone couldn't help laughing, even though she strongly suspected the monk wasn't kidding. The first of the fireworks exploded over head, showering the darkened sky with red sparks. Another rocket quickly followed, turning white and then green at the end. The smell of gunpowder filled the air, the wind kicking up a bit and blowing it their way. Everytime she smelled the smoke, heard the explosions, it took her back to her childhood. Her father...

"Used to watch these things all the time with my brother," Gojyo remarked, slumping down further in his chair.

"Your brother...isn't Doukugakuji your brother?" Yaone asked. She quickly pushed the other memories back where they had come from. No need for that to come up at this time.

Gojyo glanced at her, shrugging. "He was a dick of an older brother. You can keep him." He remained silent after that, a far away look in his eye.

Yaone shifted uncomfortably. This silence was full of unspoken words. Obviously, what had happened between the two brothers hadn't been pleasant. Doukugakuji never really spoke of the matter to begin with. That should have been a hint. Great, now she was digging up the painful pasts of her saviors! Could this little thank-you dinner turn out any worse? "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to open an old wound." She twirled her glass around, the amber liquid looking dark gold. Like Goku's eyes, she thought to herself.

"It's okay," Gojyo answered nonchalantly. "The way I figure it, everyone here has some kind of scab that gets picked at every once in a while. Whether it's us doing the picking or someone else doesn't really matter, does it? What's done is done, no changing that"

Hakkai smiled softly. "Too true, I'm afraid. That was very well put, Gojyo."

The red-head grinned and flicked ash away from the table. "I have my moments. Mainly when there's a pretty lady to impress." He winked at Yaone, but it lacked any real interest. He was just teasing her now.

Smiling again, she drained off the rest of her beer and looked around for the waitress again, hopefully to get some wine this time. No such luck. The waitress was blatantly ignoring their table. So much for that. Damn it...

"Yaone, what do you think?"

"Huh?" She turned back around to find both Gojyo and Hakkai watching her.

"Sorry, I thought you'd heard me," Hakkai explained pleasantly. "I was saying that it looks like those two are out for the count. Maybe you should consider staying the night?"

"Oh, I couldn't really..."

"We can give you a ride back to your dragon tomorrow. I'd sleep a lot better if I knew you weren't trying to fly that thing in the pitch dark."

"Yeah, besides I'm a bit of a gentleman. If I can't take a woman back to her own house, she stays over," Gojyo added. The little pun wasn't lost on her and was an even bigger reason not to stay.

'Well, I...I don't know if..." She really shouldn't. If Kougaiji found out...worse, if Gyokumen Koushu found out...

Sanzo stubbed out his cigarette sharply. "Idiots. She's the enemy. How would it look to her superiors if she camped out with us?"

"Since when do you care what happens to anyone but yourself?" Gojyo snapped.

Even if no one could see it, it was obvious the monk was glaring at Gojyo. "I don't. I'm just telling you why she's going to say 'no' so I don't have to listen to this all night."

"Look, we called a truce for today," Hakkai said, ignoring Sanzo. "As part of that truce agreement, we insist that you stay for tonight-,"

"-And breakfast," Gojyo cut in. "That brat Lirin won't be happy until she and Goku have cleared this place of any and all food."

"Hey!" Yaone scowled at the remark made on her charge.

"No offence."

"And breakfast," Hakkai amended quickly, giving Gojyo a shut-up-you're-messing-this-up look. "You could say...we took you hostage or something."

Yaone laughed, eyebrows going up. "Hostage, eh? Somehow I doubt very much anyone would believe that."

Shrugging, Hakkai managed to catch one servers eye and held up his empty mug. "All the same, I'm afraid I must insist on it. If we get up early, you could be back at Houtu Castle before lunch."

She glanced back over at where Lirin was slumped over Goku's back, smiling with a little string of drool hanging from her mouth. She looked very peaceful where she was at. And, to be honest, she herself was exhausted, not to mention a little bruised and sore, from the day's trials. Sighing, she gave in as the new waitress (this was the third one for the evening) came over with not only beer but the red wine they were serving as well. She filled all the mugs and glasses before moving on to another table. "Well, I guess it's alright for tonight."

Hakkai smiled, pleased with himself. "Now that that's settled, maybe Sanzo can help you get them upstairs and in bed." It was said very firmly and without any allowance for arguement.

"What?" Sanzo demanded, sitting upright and pinning Hakkai with a glare.

"It's only fair, Sanzo."

"Yeah, Sanzo, he's your pet," Gojyo added with a smirk.

Eye twitching angrily, Sanzo stood up and stormed over to the table. Yaone gasped when he pulled out a fan from no where, raising it up over his head. "He better not..."

He did. A sharp _crack_ sounded and then both Lirin and Goku were falling down, howling and clutching their heads. "WAKE UP!"

"Ow...Sanzo..."Goku glared balefully up at the monk, rubbing his head. "Why'd you have to go and do that?"

"Yeah, baldy-head," Lirin railed, jumping to her feet, fists raised threateningly. Yaone never could understand why she always refered to Sanzo as 'baldy-head'. The blonde was nowhere near going bald. "You're just lucky I don't...ooooh!" She grabbed the meatbun Sanzo was holding, shoving it into her mouth.

"Lirin! At least say thank you," Yaone admonished, getting to her feet and going over to them.

"HEY! How come she gets a meatbun and I don't?" Goku shouted, jumping up and glaring even more angrily at Sanzo.

The monk's answer to that was another fan assault. "Stop bitching and start moving!"

"OWOWOWOW! Okay, geeze!" Goku yelped and ran as Sanzo raised the fan again threateningly, lips twisted in an angry sneer.

Yaone quickly put a protective arm around Lirin's shoulders, glaring at the blonde. "Hit Goku all you want, but the next time you touch Lirin will be your last," she said coldly. Even Lirin looked up in surprise at the tone.

Pulling the meatbun from her mouth, Lirin said, "Wow, Yaone, you sound almost like baldy! That was scaaaary!"

"Yeah, I'll say," Goku muttered.

Sanzo had no reply for that, but there had been a momentary flash of surprise in his eyes. Good. Let that be a lesson to him for in the future. As far as she was concerned, Lirin was about the one thing Kougaiji held very dear to his heart...and she would kill to protect that for him.

Lirin and Goku shoved at each other all the way up the stairs to the room the four men were sharing. And then they were full out wrestling when the door was opened. Sanzo stood in the door way, covering his eyes. "Goddamn it..." he muttered, wincing.

Yaone frowned, having noticed the very slight pained expression. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"None of your damn business," was the curt reply. A sweep of ivory silk was all she saw as he stormed into the room, grabbed Goku by the back of the shirt and flung him off of Lirin. "Will you cut it out? You're giving me a fucking headache!"

"How am I givin' you a headache? YOU hit ME in the head, 'member?"

"And I'll do it again if you don't shut UP!"

Frowning, Yaone wondered if the monk really might have a headache. He'd mentioned it a couple times in the last few hours, and it seemed to happen whenever Goku was being louder than usual. Hmm..."Lirin, lights out in five minutes."

"OKAY!" Lirin beamed and dove onto a bed with a ratty bag hanging on the end of it. "YIPEE!" She began to jump up and down on it, trampling the clean bedding with her boots.

"LIRIN! That is NOT at all proper behavior."

"Yeah, and it's my bed, too!" Goku yelled, trying to get Sanzo to let him go. "GET OFF MY BED!"

Lirin stuck her tongue out and blew raspberry in Goku's direction. She glanced over at Yaone, saw the stern look in her eye, and stopped jumping on the bed. "Fine, I don't feel like jumpin' any more any way!"

Yaone let her believe she did it because she felt like it and smiled. "I'm so glad. And I'm sure Goku won't mind sharing his bed with you either."

"WHAT!" Goku shouted, looking to Sanzo with a pleading expression.

"Hmph, sounds like a good idea. Put all the annoying ones in the same place. Easier to pick off," Sanzo muttered.

"But...But, SANZO! You can't be serious!" Goku's eyes were moving from his guardian to Lirin (who was rolling on the bed now, hugging a pillow) and back again, completely blown away. "Why can't she sleep with Gojyo?"

"NO!" Both Yaone and Sanzo said sharply. The very idea of putting Lirin in the same bed as him...

"Then what about Hakkai? He likes kids!"

"Hey, who you callin' a kid, kid?" Lirin yelped, sitting up and glaring now.

Goku jumped a little closer to Sanzo. "Sanzo, please..."

"Fight it out amongst yourselves. I'm not having anything further to do with this."

Goku hollered and argued all the way until the door was shut again. Yaone winced when there was a loud thud, some muted shouting and more heavy bangings from the pair. "Should maybe one of us stay in there?" Yaone asked, following the monk downstairs again.

He shook his head. "I'd bet good money they wear themselves out fighting and sleep on the floor," he answered. The inn's restaurant/bar was completely deserted, all the people outside for the barbeque and fireworks. Instead of going back out to the table, though, Sanzo took a seat at the bar. Yaone frowned again when she noticed the slightly pained expression. It wasn't terribly obvious, and would have been overlooked by moste everyone else. But she was a trained healer and was used to judging body language. Many youkai thought showing pain was a weakness, thus they hid how truly hurt they were.

Glancing at the door and then back again, she was torn between going back to the table with the other two and enjoying herself...and staying in the bar with the monk. She really wanted to go watch the fireworks. It had been a long time since she'd had a chance to relax and enjoy herself. It went against her nature though to leave someone obviously in pain...Sighing, she took the seat next to him.

Sanzo's eyes flickered over briefly, a brow arched in questioning surprise. "What?"

"I thought maybe...you might want some...company," she offered hesitantly. She'd dealt with arrogant men before and knew the best way to find things out was to pretend you didn't want to know. Then again, Sanzo was an entirely different breed of arrogant.

"It doesn't matter. Stay or go, do what you like. Just keep in mind I didn't ask for your company." The last word was dripping with sarcasm.

Bristling at the rather scathing answer, she flattened her hands on the countertop, counting slowly and breathing deeply to calm herself. Snapping back wouldn't get her anywhere. "Well, then, I choose to stay."

The answer only got her an odd look, one she couldn't place. It wasn't anything she'd ever seen from those violet eyes before, like a mixture of confusion, amusement and anger. Pulling out his cigarettes, he lit one, and was polite enough not to blow it her way. "Fine. What are you having?"

The bartender was waiting in front of them, wiping out a brandy snifter before tucking it under the counter. Blinking, Yaone glanced down at the wine list on the countertop. "Oh...chilled plum wine, if you have it, please?"

"Very good, miss. And you?"

"The same, and a shot of vodka on the side."

The bartender only nodded at the odd request, setting up a shot glass and pouring the clear alcohol in. He pushed it to Sanzo, who stared at it, leaving it untouched.

"So, I take it you guys have bumped into this Shien before," Yaone stated, smiling when the bartender brought out their wine, pouring the rick burgundy liquid over ice before straining it into two glasses. If he was hurt from the fight, maybe talking about it would draw it out.

"You could say that," Sanzo answered, bringing the glass to his lips. He took a healthy swig, setting the glass down so he could chase it with the vodka.

"Another, Master Sanzo?" the bartender asked.

"Just leave the rest of the bottle." The vodka bottle was almost empty anyway.

Yaone frowned, sipping her wine thoughtfully. This was a lot harder than she had thought. Sanzo had to be the most antisocial person she'd ever experienced in her life! She glanced up when a leather covered hand slid into view, pushing a shot glass over with vodka in it.

"Here. Try that with the wine."

Hesitant about mixing her alcohols, she followed his example, drinking the wine, tipping the shot back and letting it slide down ehr throat. And...it was good. Very good. She really wouldn't have thought the two would mix that well, but..."That's amazing! How did you find out about this?"

Was that...no...She could have sworn she saw the ghost of a smile, there and gone so quickly it almost didn't exist. "Had a feeling you could handle the stronger stuff." He refilled the shot glass and the extra one the bartender provided before repeating the process of wine then shot again. The vodka bottle was almost empty now.

"Your instincts were right. Most other men assume I drink those silly concoctions with pretty names."

"I'm not like those idiot soldiers." It was said almost defensively, like he was trying to convince her of that.

"I never said that you are," she said quickly. The last thing she wanted was to have him storm off insulted.

Shrugging, he nodded to the bartender to refill both their drinks. "Whatever."

Sighing, she stared down into her wine, now completely at a loss as to how to procede. How did you talk to a man who was the definition of 'closed-off'? "Am I bothering you?" she asked. Maybe she had been wrong about him being hurt. Maybe she was...

"About as much as Hakkai does."

"But you said earlier Hakkai doesn't...oh. Oh!" It dawned on her then what exactly he was saying and blushed, twirling her wine glass around. "I guess I should take that as a compliment then. You seem to get annoyed by people easily."

"Hmph, not my fault I can't stand idiocy."

There was a long silence in which neither of them spoke for a long time. Suprisingly, it wasn't one of those awkward, uncomfortable silences either. Yaone glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a little confused. How was it possible he could be so incredibly arrogant, rude and just down right ill-tempered a good ninety percent of the time...and here she was, having drinks with him, not saying a word and feeling completely at ease? She had to be drunk...yes, blame it on the alcohol... "Can I ask you something?"

"So long as it isn't stupid," Sanzo remarked, draining off his wine. He waved the bartender away when the man moved to refill his glass.

"Why did you become a Sanzo Priest? It doesn't seem like you."

He arched a brow, the shot of vodka idly held between his fingertips. "Not like me? How do you figure that?"

"You drink, smoke, curse, and kill. Those aren't exactly the qualifications of a highly ranked monk."

Sanzo turned a little to look at her, eyes completely devoid of all emotion now. "There aren't any real qualifications for becoming a Sanzo. The title is passed down from master to apprentice when and if the time comes."

"And what about when your time comes? Do you have an apprentice?"

"Nope, and I don't really give a shit about finding one quite yet." He frowned a little, eyebrows drawing together. "Besides, I thought you guys knew all about the Sanzo Priests. Why ask me something like that?"

Yaone smiled and shook her head when he went to fill her shot glass up again. "No, thank you. I really shouldn't get drunk. And to answer your question, we don't know everything. I'm sure the higher ups do, but what gets passed down to the servants and soldiers is very limited. Find the Sanzos, kill them and take the scriptures. Simple enough orders."

"And just who are these higher ups you mentioned?"

Laughing, she shook her head. "Uh-uh, I'm not THAT drunk, Genjo Sanzo! We're still enemies, no matter how many drinks you buy me."

"Fair enough." He poured her another shot anyway. Both of them looked out the window as a particularly large firework exploded, flooding the sky with a blood red wash, which was quickly followed by a shower of green. The green ones had been her fathers favorite.

Sighing, she took the bottle from him and poured another shot. Why did she have to drag that up again? It was why she was glad she lived in a place that didn't have celebrations. The only explosives Houtu Castle cared about were the kind to destroy people with.

She felt that icy violet stare on her and it made her cheeks feel warm. Yaone knew she was probably blushing all the way down her neck, but she couldn't look at him. Not when she was this close to tears. He couldn't possibly understand what-

"It hurts still, doesn't it?"

Yaone's head snapped up, eyes wide and a little tear filled. Sanzo was lighting a cigarette, watching her from under his lashes. Once the cigarette was lit, he said, "It never really goes away, either. Stupid shit reminds you of it constantly. It doesn't matter how hard you try and forget it, to move on with things and never look back. The pain is always there."

"H-how did you...?"

"Who was it? A boyfriend?"

"No...my father," she whispered, looking down at her hands again. The soft sound of sloshing liquid and the shot glass was pushed toward her again. She drained it back, resting her forehead on the heel of her palm. "My mother had died before I even remembered her. She had been his absolute joy, so much so that he never remarried after that. And he was all I had."

Sanzo remained silent, just listening. Doukugakuji had offered her kind words when she'd told him this story, but kind words were nothing. They only made the loss so much more evident.

"We moved around a lot, never staying in one place too long. He was always learning, always studying. And he taught me as well. He used to say each place had something unique to use or learn and that the only way we would discover it was by visiting it. They were good times for us. When I was nineteen, we were living in a small village that belonged to the demon lord Hyakugen Maoh. My father and I went to his castle to inform him we were taking up residency in his village. Hyakugen Maoh agreed, and we moved into our house, set up a practice and lived peacfully for a few months. Little did we know...apparently, Hyakugen Maoh demanded female sacrifices from his villagers. The most beautiful they had to offer. And he had a very good memory for youkai females."

"They came for you?" This was spoken very softly, more a statement than an actual question.

Blinking her eyes to try and stem off the burning tears, Yaone nodded. "My father fought them with everything he had. In the end, the soldiers killed him and took me. I saw it happen, but was too afraid to do anything. I couldn't even move, even when he fell..."

"Just cry. It's okay to cry over these things."

Yaone looked up, the tears very perilously balanced on her lashes. Sanzo was studying his shot glass intently, as if completely unattached to their conversation. There was another flicker in those eyes, so barely perceptible she couldn't even begin to fathom what it was. He was really very good at hiding himself. "I can't cry. Not anymore. My father would have wanted me to be strong."

"Parents always want their children to be strong in these situations." He crushed another cigarette out in the ash tray, lacing his long fingers together on the bar and staring at them. "You obviously didn't end up with Hyakugen Maoh. I take it a certain prince saved you from that fate?"

"Lord Kougaiji was visiting the area and took me on as his personal apothecare. He saved my life that day, and even went back to deal with Hyakugen Maoh's brutal tactics, only to find the demon lord and all of his followers dead and the castle burned to the ground. The villagers must have risen against him at long last."

"Something like that." He didn't elaborate further though.

"And that's why I'm here now." She waited, almost dreading to hear the words she knew would come. Everyone said them, all the words and feeling behind them the same. Why should he be any different?

"I understand."

She looked up at those two words. That was it? "You...understand?"

The glare he gave her was almost withering in its intensity. "Don't sound so surprised. Pain and death aren't exclusively for youkai."

"No, you misunderstood me," she quickly explained. "It's just...most people would have apologized like it was their fault, offer you comfort. You didn't. You listened and accepted it. It was surprising...but in a very nice way."

Again, that confused jumble of emotions in his eyes. It was like he couldn't decided whether to laugh at her, hit her or ignore her. "Like I said, I'm not like other people."

Yaone bit her lower lip, puzzled by someone she thought she had pegged down perfectly. Oh, he was still arrogant as hell, bossy and with a positively vile temper but she was beginning to suspect some of that was a mask to hide what he was really like. What had started out as a conversation to see if he'd been hurt during the ordeal with the god had turned into a therapy session for her. It made her smile, laughing softly. "You're not what I was expecting, Genjo Sanzo."

"You're fucking drunk," he muttered. The bartender came and took the rest of the new vodka bottle away.

He was right, too. Her skin felt hot, the room was a little wavery and her legs felt a little tingly. It had been a while since she'd gotten drunk so her tolerance was far below what it normally was. "Yes, maybe...I think I'd like to go to bed."

Sanzo nodded and stood up. "Can you walk?"

Yaone pushed to her feet, clutching the chair to steady herself. "Yes...yes, I can walk." Oops...She stumbled a little when she let go, but was otherwise fine. Until she fell flat on her ass. So much for not getting drunk...

"Shit...Put this on our room tab." Arms circled underneath hers, pulling her sharply to her feet. Surprisingly strong arms covered in ivory silk and black leather. Her head tipped back a little, golden blonde hair falling into her eyes. Genjo Sanzo, for all his slight build, was nothing but muscle. She hadn't really expected that, but it was hard not to notice when she was practically crushing him with her weight. He adjusted his grip once she was on her feet, throwing one of her arms over his shoulder and locking one of his securely around her waist. "Start walking."

Yaone stumbled along with him, her ungainly stride throwing him a little off-balance every once in a while. The steps...those were tricky. The fireworks went into overload outside, the colors splashing along the walls in a myriad of flashes. Her father's gentle face came to mind, his coppery eyes laughing behind glasses. Damn it, she knew it was a mistake to stay here tonight! She sniffled, trying to keep the tears from falling.

Sanzo got them up to the room, trying to keep her from falling over as he fumbled the key into the lock. He reached over and flicked the light on, pulling her up again and practically dragging her into the room. "Now I know why Hakkai hates it when we're drunk," she heard him mutter. "Step up and over."

Glancing down, she saw that Lirin and Goku had indeed fallen asleep on the floor, curled up togeter. They looked so peaceful together. She did as he asked and then fell on the nearest bed. And as soon as she hit, the tears came free, splashing down her cheeks and onto the pillow. "Why?" It was a question she'd asked herself now for three years, ever since that horrible day when she'd seen her father cut down like an animal.

The lights were turned off, and she curled up on her side, facing the door. A dark shadow came over, a rustle of silk letting her know he was taking his robe off. Sanzo sat at the foot of the bed, back pressed to the wall. A soft click and flare of fire that lit his face, casting deep shadows as he lit a cigarette. The fire went out and all she could see was a dim profile in the moonlight, the smoke wafting up in the air. "Why what?" he asked, kicking his boots off and bringing a knee up to rest his arm on.

Which why did she start with? So many to choose from..."Why am I here while he's dead? It's unfair!"

"One thing I learned very quickly is that life is never fair. It would rather bite you in the ass and make you die from gangrenous rot that be fair. You're here because you chose to live. You could have denied Kougaiji, gone to Hyakugen Maoh and then been eaten when he was done fucking you. Or, you could have killed yourself at any time after that. The fact that you didn't shows your will to live is stronger than even your sorrow of losing your father. And I'm certain he wouldn't agree about life being unfair, even if he knew he was going to die. Most parents would agree keeping their child safe in exchange for their life was worth it."

"But...I didn't even try...why didn't I try and save him? I couldn't save him!" The tears poured faster and harder as she dug her nails into the pillow. She knew this emotional turmoil was brought upon by the booze, but it had been something pushing to get out now for three years. No one at Houtu Castle had understood exactly how hard it had been for her. Not even Douku and Kougaiji truly understood.

There was no answer to that. No answer until...her eyes snapped open at the hand on her shoulder. Her heart slammed to a stop for a second, half wondering if the monk was going to try and take advantage of her in this condition. God, please...

"It's something I've asked myself before. And I still don't know the answer." The hand moved away again, just a brief comforting touch.

Yaone rolled over to see him better, wiping her eyes away. "How did you get over it?"

The tip of the cigarette flared as he took a hit. "The Buddhists have a saying called _muichimatsu_. It means 'hold nothing'. You don't have to get over anything. Just don't let it consume you. The grief will always be a part of you, but it's not who you are. You should know this already. Why else even bother living still?"

The words themselves were harsh, straight and to the point. But...they made sense. Hold nothing. Yaone studied the dark contours of his face, head spinning still from the alcohol. "Thank you," she whispered.

A soft grunt, the bed dipping as he leaned over and put the cigarette out. "Go to sleep. Hakkai has this mint tea shit that's good for hangovers."

Smiling a little, Yaone closed her eyes and let the spinning sensation pull her down.

* * *

Hakkai smiled to himself as he sipped his beer, watching as Yaone and Sanzo led the younger two inside. It was such a lovely evening, the wind very faint, stars speckling the black sky, a full moon over head. A perfect night for fireworks.

Gojyo leaned forward, drawing his attention. "So, what do you think?" he asked, giving him the usual wicked grin.

Blinking, confused by the random question, Hakkai said, "What am I thinking about, Gojyo?"

"Those two. Think they're gonna knock boots?"

"Gojyo, please. Sanzo is a monk-," Sometimes Gojyo's one-tracked mind could be a little tiring. Like now.

"Yeah, a monk who breaks every goddamn rule they have," Gojyo countered quickly, sitting back as the waitress filled them up again. He smiled and winked at her as she left giggling.

He did have a point. Still..."Yaone and Sanzo have the understanding that they are enemies. And besides, with the way she insulted him, I doubt very much Sanzo would be interested in her."

"Aw, come on! He was totally flirting with her!"

"Where did you get THAT idea?"

Gojyo rolled his eyes, pushing his heavy crimson hair over his shoulders. He took a hit from his cigarette, smirking. "Please, I've used that little technique plenty of times before. Tease the girl to show you like her. It's an old-school classic."

Hakkai blinked again, sitting up straighter. Come to think of it...Sanzo had agreed rather easily about taking Goku and Lirin upstairs. Could it possibly be..."Gojyo, please don't mention to Sanzo what you just said."

Scrunching up his face, he waved away the very idea. "As if! Like I want to risk having my balls shot off. No, thank you!"

* * *

Yaone blinked, sitting up in the unfamiliar bed. The sunlight was streaming through the open windows, letting in the noises from below. What...oh, that's right. She looked around, trying to find Lirin, as she squinted at the clock. Oh..."Oh, my! It's already nine!" She jumped out of the bed, kicking the blanket that had somehow found it's way on her during the night and searched frantically for her charge as she straightened her hair, adjusted her clothing. Why had they let her sleep that late!

She was completely alone in the room, she realized. Everyone had woken up before her? Opening the door, she ran down the stairs, now worried sick that maybe Lirin had run away again. She ducked inside the restaurant. No one...wait, Sanzo was there, sitting in the corner facing the entrance. She went over to him, heart pounding. Lirin...if they had hurt Lirin.

Sanzo looked up as she came over. He was wearing glasses, the paper folded neatly on the table next to a steaming cup of coffee. He didn't offer any type of greeting, just waited.

"Lirin, where is she?"

"She bitched about the food, so Hakkai took her and Goku shopping," he answered before returning to his paper.

"She...so she's safe?" Yaone covered her eyes with one hand, relief flooding her. Thank God!

"Last I saw of her." He scowled at the paper, flipped the pencil upside down and erased what he had just written. "Sit down, have some coffee."

Yaone hesitated only a moment before taking the seat next to him. "Look, I just wanted to-,"

"You thanked me last night. And you're welcome." He was glaring death at the newspaper right then. "Shit..."

Peering closer, she saw he was working the sudoku puzzle. It was the Sunday puzzle, so it was harder that the rest. "You like sudoku?" she asked, even though the answer was obvious.

"Fucking Hakkai's fault. Bought a whole book full of these stupid-assed puzzles. I got bored."

Tapping a square, she said, "That's a five."

Sanzo followed where she was pointing, looked at the surrounding numbers and nodded, filling the box in. "Makes sense." He picked up the cigarette burning in the ash tray.

The inn owner's wife came over, smiling, and put a cup in front of Yaone, pouring coffee into it. "What'll you have for breakfast, dear?"

Caught off guard, Yaone quickly glanced through the menu "May I please have the three minute eggs and toast? And orange juice, too."

"Sure thing, dear. And what about you? Have you decided?"

"Coffee's fine," Sanzo muttered, still wrapped up in the puzzle.

"Oh, but breakfast is the most important meal of the day! At least let me bring you some fruit."

He looked up slowly from the paper, glaring over the top of his glasses. "Just. Coffee."

Blanching a little, the woman quickly bustled away, glancing back nervously once.

Sighing, Yaone leaned back, stretching her arms over her head. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough considering you stole my bed."

She blushed, sipping her coffee carefully. How embarrassing! Of all the beds to pass out in, it had to be his! "I don't usually behave like that," she explained softly.

"Never crossed my mind." He finished the puzzle and flipped the page over to read the politics section.

The clock ticking away on the wall was the only sound for a long time. Neither of them said a word, and ocne again Yaone was surprised by how comfortable the silence was. The coffee's warmth was working it's way down her throat, spreading a little to her head. Nothing better than coffee in the morning.

"What would you say if I asked you to dinner sometime?"

She practically spit her coffee across the table. "I'm sorry...what did you say?" she choked out.

Sanzo didn't even pause while reading the paper. "Don't get any ideas. It's just dinner. I get sick and tired of having the same fucking conversations over and over with those three. And only Hakkai can really offer an intellectually stimulating one. So, how about it?"

Was he insane? Or drunk at nine in the morning? Or BOTH! The very idea of them having dinner together...sounded appealing. Yaone shook her head, baffled why having dinner with Sanzo would make her want to smile. Maybe because she agreed with him. She spent so much time with Doukugakuji, Lirin and Kougaiji that she usually didn't have to ask them their opinion on anything. She knew what their response would be. And after last night...his words...There was more to Genjo Sanzo than she'd originally thought. And, she admitted to herself, she was a little curious to see what else he had up his sleeve. "This isn't a date, right? Just two people having dinner?"

"I don't date. We're just having dinner. I already sent a message ahead to the next town booking four rooms. Stop at the desk to get my room number. That is, if you're agreeing?" He glanced over at her, waiting for her answer.

Yaone studied her hands on the table, barely breathing. He was the enemy...so why was she going to say yes? Slowly, taking a deep breath, she nodded and said, "Alright. I'll be there."

Sanzo flicked his newspaper to straighten it and said, "Good."


	2. Chapter 2

Yaone sat in the back of the Jeep, back pressed almost between the two front seats, legs crossed so as not to crowd the others in back. Lirin was sitting next to her, head lolling over the side of the speeding vehicle, staring up at the sky and making odd noises in a sing-song voice. Goku was sitting next to Gojyo, who also had his head over the side, a cigarette burning idly in his hand. Hakkai was up front driving, and Sanzo was next to him. She glanced at the blonde monk, frowning a little.

He was very confusing. One minute, he'd rather make her eat a bullet than give her a second glance. The next, he's letting her pass out drunk in his bed. And the dinner thing! She sighed, shifting her legs a little to ease the cramping. The flying dragon had been parked a good ways from the town. No need to terrify the humans with it. Now, she was wishing it was closer so this awkward car ride could end.

There was no way in hell she was keeping this not-a-date! How could she? Lord Kougaiji saved her life, and she was going to repay him by having dinner with the enemy? And besides that, she had no way of really sneaking out without someone (like Lirin) noticing. What plausible excuse could she have for leaving the castle at night? Saying 'yes' had been one of her dumber moments!

"Hey, Yaone, we got any food?" Lirin asked, picking her head up as her stomach rumbled.

Yaone blinked, shaking herself out of her trance. "Huh? I'm sorry, Lirin, I didn't hear what you said."

Lirin grinned mischievously, green eyes dancing. "I'm hungry, Yaone! Make baldy-head...ooo!" She caught the meatbun thrown back at her and began gnawing at it happily.

"HEY! I WANNA MEATBUN, TOO!" Goku shouted, coming up out of his seat.

All he got was a paper fan to the head. "Sit down and shut up!"

"Ow...my head..."

Yaone leaned back enough to glare at the monk. "Is it really necessary to hit him all the time?"

He flicked a glance over at her before lighting a cigarette. "Yes. How else are you supposed to train wild animals?"

Goku bristled at that, scowling darkly at the monk's head. "Are you suggesting I'm an animal?"

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm saying it flat out."

"Hakkai!"

Hakkai smiled pleasantly and looked at the boy in the rearview mirror. "Sorry, Goku, but it's not my place to interfere."

Goku looked around the Jeep lost, eyes falling on Gojyo in the faint hope maybe the red-head would help him.

"Don't even turn those big puppy eyes on me," Gojyo drawled without picking his head up. "I hope to God the stupid prick breaks your jaw."

"I can always break two jaws for the price of one, kappa," Sanzo threatend from the front.

That got Gojyo's head up, crimson eyes positively blazing with rage. "Why you...how about you come back here and say that to my face?"

"Don't wanna. It's not worth the effort."

"And just what do you mean by THAT?"

Yaone shook her head. Maybe Lord Kougaiji was going at this from the wrong angle. Just lock the four of them in a room and let them kill each other. Never had she heard anyone bicker like them before. The only one who wasn't fighting was ignoring them with a perfectly peaceful smile on his face.

"Damn it, Hakkai, how long until we reach the next town?" Sanzo suddenly demanded, eye twitching irritably.

The next town. She was supposed to be having dinner with him then. Just as friends- no, not friends. Just two people talking is what he had said. Then, it wouldn't be that bad if she just didn't show up. Of course, it also wouldn't be bad if she did. After all, they wouldn't be discussing anything about the scripture or the revival project.

"Not for another two days at least," Hakkai answered with a little laugh.

"HEY! Let go of my meat bun!" Lirin snarled, shoving Goku away roughly.

"It's not even YOUR meat bun to begin with," Goku shouted back, shoving her roughly. "Hakkai got 'em for me! Sanzo knicked one!"

"Quit SHOVIN'!" She proved her point by shoving back.

"No, you quit!" Goku pushed back hard enough to send her rocking into Sanzo's seat.

Yaone ducked when the fan whipped in back, barely missing Lirin's head, and smacked Goku hard. "I SAID CAN IT!"

"AHAHAHAHA! Baldy got you and not me! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Lirin was practically cackling with laughter.

"Yeah...that was really shitty, Sanzo," Goku complained bitterly, rubbing his head. "Why didn't you hit her, too?"

Yes, why didn't he? She'd almost expected it to happen...and it didn't. Maybe she was just reading too much into things.

Sanzo never answered the boy as he settled himself down again in his seat, closing his eyes.

They drove the rest of the way in silence, the two younger ones not bickering anymore. The only sounds were the tires over the gravel road and Gojyo's lighter flicking open and then shut after his cigarette was lit. God, her eyes were just killing her today! Yaone yawned, covering her mouth, and rubbed her eyes. If she DID decide to go through with dinner, there was no way she was drinking! One night of being drunk off her ass was acceptable, but two... Then again, it didn't really matter because she wasn't going to do this. Right?

She looked up at the loud bleating sound coming from the forest. The dragon... "Lirin, did you hang it from the tree again?" she scolded. That girl was always so hard on the poor creatures!

Lirin's guilty look was enough. The girl quickly gave her an innocent smile, eyes crinkling closed. "Oops, my bad!"

"Lirin, how many times have I told you about that? The dragons need room to hunt, and they can't do that if you keep hog-tying them up in the trees! When Lord Kougaiji finds out about this..."

"Aw, big brother's just a worry wart! I do it all the time and nothin's ever happened yet!"

Yaone sighed, covering her eyes again. Sometimes...she almost wished Kougaiji hadn't asked her to watch Lirin. The girl was a handful at best and a downright terror at worse. Oh, she cared a great deal for Lirin, and would do everything necessary to keep her safe! But...

"Shit, she really did string him up," Gojyo muttered.

Glancing up again as Hakkai stopped the Jeep and put the emergency break in place, Yaone gasped, jumping over the side and heading for the dragon hanging upside down in a net. "LIRIN!" The creature's white hide was now a greyish color, the red eyes very dull. He'd been hanging like this all day and night? And, judging from the deep growling noises, he was famished as well. Not surprising seeing as his wings had been tied to his side so he couldn't even fly and grab a squirrel.

"Oh...I forgot about tying him up like that! Sooooorrrryyyyyy!" It was obvious that, for now, the young princess was very sorry.

Without another word, Yaone cut the beast down. Hakkai ran up to help her catch it as it fell from the trappings, trying to stretch it's cramped wings. "Here, let me help." He pryed one of the tightly folded wings open slightly and began to massage the membranes gently, slowly working the wing open wider and wider.

Yaone was working the other side, trying to restore blood flow to the delicate skin. "I take it you've done this before?" she asked.

"Hakuryuu doesn't like the cold very much. His wing joints get a little stiff, and this helps with that," he answered.

The dragon was bleating loudly, trying to get its legs to work. "Lirin, come hold his head up," Yaone instructed. There was almost nothing worse than dragon breath blowing directly on you.

Lirin did as she was told for a change, shooting very contrite looks at Yaone's face. "I didn't know this was gonna happen to Sparky," she explained.

"No, you did know, Lirin. I've told you. Doukugakuji's told you. Even your brother's told you countless times! I'm going to speak with him about restricting your access to the dragons. Just as soon as-,"

"Please don't, Yaone! He'll be so mad at me, and I hate it when Kougaiji's mad at me!" Lirin's eyes were big and sparkly with tears.

It was a look Yaone couldn't resist. "Alright, but if you ever, EVER treat Sparky like this again..." She let the threat trail off.

"I won't, I promise!" It was a promise most likely to be broken again very soon.

Once Sparky was up and on his feet again, he shook his wings out and took a running start into the air, intent on feeding himself. Great, yet another delay. Yaone pulled out her little watch and checked the time. If they hurried, they could be back in time for dinner. She hoped Lady Koushu would be busy elsewhere upon their return. Kougaiji would be angry. But her... She shivered when she thought of the last time she'd angered Lady Koushu. Of what she'd been made to do to atone for it. Even Kougaiji couldn't save her from that woman.

"Sanzo, would it be alright if we had lunch now?" Hakkai called. Yaone glanced up at the green-eyed youkai in surprise. He was really very serious about staying until they were under way?

Sanzo was leaning against a tree, smoking. His face bore the usual arrogant mask and hid anything else he might have been feeling. "Would it really matter if I said 'no'? You've already made the decision anyway."

Goku wasn't the only one to let out a wildly excited whoop. Lirin ran back over and joined him in jumping around in the back of the Jeep, which squealed loudly, lights flickering in alarm Gojyo had to dive over the side for cover or risk getting trampled. "You little shit-heads! You almost crushed me!" he shouted angrily from the ground. He pushed to his feet, cigarette still clamped firmly in his mouth and shoved them both back down. "You're a perfect example of why some animals eat their young!"

"HEY!" The two in question both exclaimed angrily. Gojyo had to run for it as they jumped over the side, promising revenge in a multitude of painful ways.

Hakkai laughed softly and stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Children...what can you do with them?" He walked back to the Jeep and started pulling out a few things to make lunch

Yaone smiled at that and stood as well. "Do you need help with anything, Hakkai?" she asked. She had a feeling that he was the one who did all the cooking in the group.

Smiling, he waved her away as he set about opening cans of vegetables and packages of dried fish. "Oh, no! I've got it all under control here. If you want to go keep Sanzo company, though, I'll have this ready in about ten minutes."

She glanced over at the monk, who seemed oblivious to the conversation. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she walked over, unaware that a certain pair of green eyes were watching her with a shrewd cast to them.

"Um...hello," she managed, offering a tentative smile.

No answer but a slightly questioning stare and a stream of smoke from thin lips.

Damn it...this was even more awkward than the car ride! "Look, I was thinking..."

"Whatever," he interupted her, glancing out over the river as Goku was thrown into it by Gojyo.

"HA! Take THAT, you dumb ape!" The red head shouted in glee.

"And you take that, kappa! WEEE!" Lirin ran behind Gojyo and tackled him around the waist.

Gojyo twisted around enough to grab her and pull her in after him. "Crazy-assed bi- muwmph!" The rest of the sentence was cut off as he went under water.

"Shit," Sanzo muttered, stubbing out his cigarette sharply.

"Is somethin wrong?" Yaone asked frantically, looking around the bushes and trees for an attack. She didn't sense any demons in the area...

"Gojyo can't swim. GOKU!"

Goku looked up at the shout, treading water a littler further away. His golden eyes swept over to a spluttering and splashing Gojyo and he quickly took action, swimming over and dragging the much bigger man easily out of the water and up onto the embankment.

"Oh God, Gojyo! Gojyo, are you alright?" Hakkai called, looking up from the fire he had going.

"Fucking...wonderful," Gojyo choked out.

Lirin came out of the water as well, shaking herself off like a wet dog. "Whazzamatta with him? He's a kappa, isn't he?"

"Yeah, a kappa who can't swim," Goku mocked.

"Fuck off, monkey-boy!" Gojyo glared death from the ground, dripping wet and shaking just a little.

Lirin cracked up at that, her boots making a squishing sound as she stamped them up and down. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard! A water sprite who doesn't like water? AHAHAHAHA!"

Yaone covered her mouth with one hand, humiliated her charge was acting so horribly. She spoke between her fingers when Sanzo shifted next to her, hand twitching a little. "Please, don't hit her," she begged.

"I doubt it would do much good with her anyway," he practically snarled. He solved the problem of reaching for his fan (or gun) by crossing his arms over his chest and settled on glaring instead.

"By the way, you never let me finish what I was going to say," Yaone continued more quietly now that there were people closer to them. Granted, they were all shouting loud enough no one would notice...but she wasn't taking any chances.

"No need. I sort of figured you would change your mind," he answered.

Annoyed by how absolutely arrogant he sounded, Yaone said sharply, "Well, I'm sure you can understand why!"

"Yes, I can."

How...how...FRUSTRATING! He wouldn't let her explain a thing. "It's just too risky."

He shrugged, still not looking at her. "Okay."

Yaone turned away angrily, glaring out over the lake. Now more than ever she was certain her decision was the right one. The man was just so incredibly difficult...or was he? She blinked, brow forming a confused little crease. He was...he was actually being very reasonable about this. More so than she had planned him to be. She had almost half expected him to be angry and cuss and argue...So, why was she the one getting angry when he was giving her exactly what she wanted?

"Look, do what you want. But don't snap at me over it. It's not like I held a gun to your head and forced you to say yes. It's just..."

She glanced over at him, saw him studying his boots a little. His face was completely hidden behind a fall of golden hair. It couldn't possibly be as soft as it looked...could it? "Just...what?"

"Nothing. Like I said, I'm not forcing you one way or the other. You show up, fine. If not, whatever." He pushed away from the tree and went over to the rest of the group. Hakkai was serving lunch up, calmly telling Lirin that she got just as much as Goku before easily telling Gojyo the same thing. Whether it was true or not couldn't be determined as Goku was already scarfing his down in lightening speed. Sighing, she went over and joined the group, sitting as far away from the monk as possible.

* * *

Hakkai glanced over at Sanzo for what felt like the millionth time. Yaone and Lirin had departed already, disappearing over the mountain range to their left on Sparky the dragon. It hadn't taken long for them (namely himself and Goku, that is) to pack things up and get moving again. Gojyo and Goku were dead silent in back. They were lucky to even be alive! The very first fight they started had been their last. Hakkai couldn't remember ever seeing Sanzo so very clearly pissed off before...and he had the sneaky suspicion it had something to do with a very beautiful youkai healer. Still, while he had to admit he secretly agreed with Gojyo that SOMETHING had changed over the course of twenty-four hours, he didn't think Sanzo the type to go for a youkai anything unless it was to put a hole in it's skull. But then again...

He sighed, glancing down at the map stretched out over the dashboard. Sanzo was a very confusing person when it came to the subject of sex. On the one hand, he completely disregarded the abstinance rules that the Buddhists adhered to. But on the other hand, he very rarely showed any interest in the opposite sex (or the same sex for that matter) other than a casual and usually dismissive glance. Oh, it wasn't that he didn't look! Hakkai had caught him a few times glancing at a couple females. It was more that his standards were so incredibly high it was impossible for anyone to reach it. No, Sanzo and Yaone were NOT the happy couple Gojyo suspected them of being. It was more likely the two had sat at the bar ignoring each other than actually talking. For once, the kappa's instincts concerning attraction were way off base.

"Are you purposely trying to hit every damn bump, Hakkai?" Sanzo snarled. He didn't need to see those flashing violet eyes to know Sanzo was pissed.

Hakkai laughed nervously as they drove over a particularly sharp rut, shifting down a gear to plow up the steep hill. "Sorry, but there isn't much I can do about it! This isn't exactly a Jeep friendly pass."

All he got in response was a grunt and Sanzo crossing his arms over his chest. And then quickly uncrossing them to reach for the OS bar on the side of theJeep when they lurched up almost on two wheels. "Fucking son of a bitch!"

"Lighten up, monk," Gojyo sneered from in back. "This isn't the first nasty road we've been on."

"It's going to be the last you ever travel if you don't shut up."

Hakkai and Gojyo exchanged looks in the mirror. The kappa knew something was wrong as well. Granted, Sanzo DID threaten death to the red head at least twenty times a day. But he never reacted to something as stupid as a bumpy road. The monk snarled from his seat, trying to find a better position.

"What's wrong, Sanzo?" Goku asked. He was clinging for dear life to the snack bin so that it didn't fall over the side (like last time), but his golden eyes were big and round with worry.

"Not a goddamn thing other than this road!"

"You're actin' all weird and stuff. And you're cussin' more, too. You sound like Gojyo."

"Hey, take that back, monkey! No way in hell the pissy priest sounds like me," Gojyo shouted, grabbing a handful of Goku's shirt.

"Lemme go, pervert!" Goku struggled to unclench Gojyo's fingers.

Hakkai glanced over again at Sanzo, who's hand jumped like he was trying not to draw his weapon. As the two continued arguing in back, he asked softly, "Goku's right, you know. I've never seen you quite this contrary before."

The blonde's shoulders relaxed a little and his hand moved away from his robe. "I'm hardly contrary, Hakkai," he muttered. Hakkai knew him well enough to understand Sanzo was at least pacified. For now.

Laughing to himself, Hakkai said, "Well, I was going to use crotchety, but with that one in back..." He was refering to Gojyo, of course.

"What's that, Kai? Are you talkin' about Sanzo's crotch?" Of course Gojyo would choose now to eavesdrop!

"EW! Nasty kappa! Like Hakkai would ever talk about that," Goku shouted, shoving Gojyo roughly.

"Hey, stop trying to cop a feel, monkey-boy! Go play with your own banana!"

"SANZO! Didja hear what the pervy water sprite just said?"

Sanzo and Hakkai shared a look. "I swear I can do it in two bullets," the monk muttered.

Hakkai laughed again and shifted up a gear as they crested the hill. He had no doubt whatsoever that Sanzo could kill them both in one shot a piece. The two in back thought he missed on on accident...Hakkai knew better than that. If Sanzo missed, he had a reason. "Yes, but I'd miss them. And it would be boring just the two of us on this journey."

"Hmph. It would be a lot quieter, though."

"Hey, Hakkai, are you plotting our death up there with droopy eyes?" Gojyo shouted.

His response to that was a laugh and to ignore the question. The road on the other side of the hill was a lot smoother. And Sanzo didn't seem as pissed off now. Maybe it was only the road after all...

* * *

Yaone froze dead in her tracks when she saw who was waiting for them outside the stables. "Oh, God..."

"LIRIN! GET OVER HERE NOW!"

Lirin cringed, hand tightening around Yaone's. "Big brother looks really pissed off."

"He'll be even more so if you don't hurry," she answered, letting go of her charge's hand.

Lirin gulped, took a deep breath, and shuffled over to where Kougaiji and Doukugakuji were waiting. Douku looked rather amused and offered her a quick smile and wink as she followed Lirin, heart slamming into her chest.

"Uh...hey, big brother! Long time no...see?" Lirin pulled out all the dimples she could in her smile, as well as the big innocent eyes.

It didn't work. Kougaiji's scowl darkened considerably. "What were my last instructions to you yesterday afternoon?" he demanded, arms crossed over his chest.

"To...stay...inside?"

"THEN WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU TWO BEEN FOR THE LAST TWENTY-FOUR HOURS!"

Lirin jumped, reaching back for Yaone's hand.

Yaone dropped to one knee quickly, humiliated the prince was shouting at her. "It was my fault, Lord Kougaiji," she explained quickly. "I went after Lirin and failed to bring her back straight away. Please, direct your anger at me, not her."

There was a long silence where all she could hear was Lirin's little whimpers and her own heart pounding. Kougaiji...

"I'm not mad, Yaone," he said at last, and very softly. "I'm just... I was concerned for you both, that's all. There are some crazy gods running around and-,"

"Oh, them? Yeah, we met them already! And kicked their asses...sort of!"

Yaone cringed at Lirin's outburst. Damn it... She could feel the rage positively boiling off the prince, the air simmering around him.

"You...fought the gods?" This was said in such a low, controled voice that it was obvious he was very carefully checking his temper.

"Oh, yeah! Little Lirin fought that Shien guy an' then the Sanzo party had ta come in an' mess it all up! An' then there were fireworks and food and I got ta sleep in a bed an'-,"

"ENOUGH!"

Yaone closed her eyes tightly, keeping her head bowed. This wasn't good. Lord Kougaiji was going to kill her. Or worse, fire her. She couldn't live with the shame of having him fire her! "My lord, let me explain," she whispered.

"Doukugakuji, take Lirin inside. Lady Koushu wants to have a word with her." The word 'lady' was made mocking. Everyone knew she was far from being a lady.

"Hey, Kou?" Doukugakuji's voice rumbled as he shifted positions uncomfortably.

"What?"

"Take it easy on her. Come on, Lirin. Let's leave them alone to talk for a bit."

As they walked away, Yaone heard Lirin whisper, "Is he gonna fire her?"

Douku laughed and ruffled her hair, but didn't answer. Well, Kougaiji would have every right to fire her after this. She'd failed to watch Lirin, failed to protect her, failed to bring her back in a timely fashion. She'd just failed, period! He should just throw her out right now and get it over with.

"Get up, Yaone. You know I hate it when you abase yourself."

Yaone looked up when a clawed hand came into view. "My lord, I-,"

Kougaiji gave her a look. It was enough to get her to stop what she was going to say and accept the hand. Once standing, she at least averted her eyes. It wasn't polite when being chastised. Gyokumen Koushu had taught her that very quickly. "So, wanna explain?"

Taking a deep breath, she nodded and said, "Lirin escaped and challenged Shien. I went to find her, and ran into the Sanzo party." Actually, they almost ran into her, but that wasn't important. "Cho Hakkai offered to help, and I accepted. Genjo Sanzo took Lirin to safety-,"

"The bad tempered monk took Lirin to _safety_?" There was a slight twitch of lips to suggest he found that very amusing.

Yaone offered a timid smile. It was a little funny to think that Lirin was safe with someone who killed youkai as easily as he could breath. "The other three and myself fought Shien off, and as a thank you, I thought it only fair to at least buy them dinner. Then, there were fireworks that Lirin wanted to see, and I didn't see the harm in letting her since we were already late. But she was so exhausted that she fell asleep. Priest Sanzo was kind enough to let us share a room with their group for the evening, and Hakkai drove us back to the flying dragon. And I know they're the enemy, my lord, but I didn't have a choice in enlisting their aid!"

Kougaiji was silent again. The wind kicked up, blowing pieces of his auburn hair across his face. Finally, his shoulders relaxed and he smiled. "What condition is Sparky in?"

She blushed and didn't answer.

"I thought so. Go inside and wait in my room. _She's_ not at all happy about this and has been screaming for you blood since she woke up and found you two still weren't back. And stay there until Douku or I come for you, understand?"

Yaone let her breath out, tears pricking her eyes. "Yes and...thank you, Lord Kougaiji." She turned and ran quickly into the castle, sticking close to the walls and keeping her head down. It wasn't that far to Kougaiji's room. All she had to do was get to the elevator and...

"Why, Miss Yaone. What a pleasant surprise."

She froze at that drawling voice, the one that seemed to creep down her spine and make her skin crawl. "Dr. Nii," she said as pleasantly as possible.

"I belive...Lady Koushu is looking for you," the doctor continued, grinning broadly. The usual cigarette hung from his lips, and the usual stuffed bunny was tucked under his arm. Judging from the delighted expression, she was in for a lot of pain.

Swallowing heavily, Yaone nodded. "Very well. Please inform Lady Koushu that-,"

"She said she wants to see you as soon as you get back. And now you're back. You better hurry. Of course, I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you were, say, giving me a hand?" He stepped a little closer to her.

Oh, God...nodding again, Yaone forced herself to walk to the throne room. She stopped outside the heavy doors, listening. Please let there be screaming, please let there be screaming...If Gyokumen Koushu was shouting, the punishment wouldn't be as severe. She almost cried out loud when she heard nothing but a dull hum of voices. This wasn't good at all! Slowly, she pushed the doors open and went inside, keeping her head down.

"Ah, Yaone, so nice of you to grace us with your presence," Gyokumen Koushu purred from her throne. Two servants were working on her nails and her feet, both silent and pretending to be furniture.

"Lady Koushu, you sent-,"

"You're forgetting yourself, Yaone. Just because Prince Kougaiji allows you to forego the bended knee, I do not."

Yaone swallowed again and dropped to one knee, jumping when the cold marble met her skin.

"Now, Lirin tells me you ran into the Sanzo party."

"Mom, please don't-," Lirin began in a nervous tremble.

"_Silence!_ You've already been such a darling daughter, Lirin, by pointing out the incompetance in your group. Unless, Yaone, you have the scripture with you?" The question was rhetorical. Lady Koushu already knew the answer.

"My Lady, please grant me five minutes of your time to-,"

"You've already wasted far too much of my time," Lady Koushu bit out sharply. Yaone winced, hands shaking. She could hear footsteps coming up behind her and had to force the urge to fight back down. She had seen how much worse it could be if one fought. "Now, Lirin, maybe this will convince you to stay in Houtu Castle when I tell you to. You were gone a total of twenty-six hours. Yaone will be whipped twenty-six times, one for each hour you disobeyed me. If you so much as cry or argue about this sentence, she will receive an additional twenty-six lashes. Understand?"

Lirin's green eyes were bright with unshed tears. "But, mother, Yaone didn't-,"

"That's now now fifty-two lashes. Do keep arguing, daughter. It's been quite some time since our pretty Yaone's flesh has been touched with the strap."

Yaone met Lirin's eyes, begging the girl to keep silent. Douku's hand touched the girl's shoulder and squeezed a little to offer support. Lirin closed her eyes and looked away. Rough hands dragged Yaone over to the wall where chains and metal hooks had been drilled in. She blushed, biting the insides of her cheeks to keep back anything she would have said or done when her clothing was peeled off and she was chained to the wall. The whip uncoiling and striking against the marble floor with a loud _crack_ made her jump, tears trembling on her lower lashes.

"Count the lashes outloud, Yaone. It makes me happy to hear the pain in your voice."

_And it'll make me happy to see you dead someday_, she thought to herself just as the first stroke hit her back. Instant pain the lingered a little before dissipating. "One." Goryan, Gyokumen Koushu's pet torturer, was excellent in judging the timing between each stroke. He'd wait until the pain was almost gone and strike again. "Two. Three...Four..." She continued on, trying to keep back any sound of pain. Yaone gasped at the tenth one, felt something slip down her back. Goryan had broken the skin finally.

"She really has such lovely skin, don't you think, Goryan?"

"Yes, she does mistress," Goryan chuckled.

"Try not to scar her too badly."

Yaone bit back the whimper, closing her eyes and sucking in her breath at the enxt lash. "Eleven...twelve...thirteen..."

The doors to the throne room burst open, slamming wide against the walls and startling Goryan so badly the whip missed her back, curling around her shoulder to leave a deep red welt. Yaone did let out a little cry at that since it struck her breast a little.

"What is the meaning of this? Halt at once, Goryan!" Kougaiji...she let out a little relieved sob. It was Kougaiji.

"You dare challenge my word?" Lady Koushu demanded icily.

"When it concerns _my_ servant, yes I do. Yaone belongs to me. I've already given her an appropriate punishment Let her go."

She could sense the hesitation in Goryan, even though she couldn't see him. He was Gyuokumen Koushu's pet...but Kougaiji was the prince. She heard his shuffling steps coming closer.

"Ignore that! Continue the flogging NOW!"

"NO!" Kougaiji's rage was beginning to sizzle the air a little. It was always dangerous to anger a fire mage.

"You forget, Kougaiji, that when I marry your father, I will be queen," Lady Koushu said in a soft purr.

"I forget nothing. We had an agreement, Lady Koushu," he stressed her title purposely. "Those who serve me belong to me. Yaone is mine, and I want her back!"

"You would let the fact that she failed in her duty to protect a member of the royal family go unpunished? No, I think in this instance, your father would agree with me. After all, Lirin is my only child." The way she said that last...it made Yaone so angry to hear her say it! It was perfectly obvious she didn't care at all about Lirin. The princess was only a political tool, a way of keeping Kougaiji in line and Gyumaoh bound to her. That selfish...bitch!

"Fine, then allow me to take her place."

"My lord, no!" she shouted, apalled at the very idea of her lord being chained to the wall and humiliated in front of the entire court.

"It's my choice, Yaone."

"Please, Lord Kougaiji, don't do this!"

Lady Koushu was silent for a very long time. Then, slowly, she began to laugh, softly at first and then louder and louder until she was full out hysterical. "See, Kougaiji, this is why you will never rule the youkai. You would rather sacrifice yourself for your whore. My darling Gyumaoh knew better than that."

"My father also didn't understand that true loyalty comes through sacrifice," Kougaiji answered softly. "Untie her, now."

"Oh, very well! Release her, and bind Prince Kougaiji in her place."

Yaone felt the tears sting her face as she was unchained and dragged away from the wall. Someone, a noblewoman named Lixue whom Doukugakuji was good friends with, came over and wrapped her up in a cloak so that she wasn't sitting in the hall naked. "Come on, Yaone, you shouldn't see this," she whispered. Yaone didn't budge from where she had been thrown down. If Lord Kougaiji could take the punishment for her, she could at least watch.

Kougaiji took his coat off, throwing it to Douku, who had come down from the dais when he'd first entered. "You won't need those chains," he said to Goryan.

Goryan looked up at Lady Koushu, who nodded once. "I don't like staining my whip with noble blood...but you asked for it," Goryan said.

Yaone jumped when the first stroke landed, and each blow after that became increasingly harder and harder to watch. At thirty, blood was seeping down his back, getting caught in the waist of his jeans. At forty, he'd slipped to one knee, his entire body shaking with the strain of not screaming. And when the final stroke was done, Yaone and Douku ran to his side, helping him to his feet. "Why did you do that?" she asked in a whisper, wiping her tears away.

"It wasn't...fair," Kougaiji answered with a faint smile.

"I'm a little disappointed, Kougaiji," Lady Koushu called as they left the throne room. "I was really looking forward to hearing you scream."

"Sssorry to...disappoint you," Kougaiji said sarcastically. he limped along between Yaone and Doukugakuji all the way to his chambers where, as soon as they got him to the bed, he let out a pained hiss.

Yaone ran over to the trunk he kept in the bathroom full of medical supplies, clutching the cloak around her tightly. Her back stung like a million hot needles were in her skin, but she had to help Kougaiji first. Her fingers fumbled with the lock, shaking hands trying to pry the lid open. Gauze, needles and thread just in case, where was that astringent...here it was...numbing cream...

"Yaone, you okay?" Doukugakuji asked from the doorway.

"I-I'm fine, Douku. Just... why did he do that?" She gathered all her stuff up, pausing to look him in the eye. It had been very foolish of him...and yet, completely what she would have expected, too.

Douku smiled and shrugged. "You know as well as I do how he gets about these things. You need help with any of this?"

She shook her head and brushed by him back into the room.

"Okay, then. I'm gonna go check on Lirin. She's probably shaken up about the whole thing." He gave her a friendly squeeze on her good shoulder and left.

Yaone went over to the bed where Kougaiji hadn't moved an inch. She crawled up on it, the fur of the blanket tickling a little on her bare legs. "This is going to sting, my lord," she said softly, sniffling back any further tears.

"It usually does," he muttered, eyes closed. The muscles in his back tensed and he hissed when she began rubbing the astringent into the wounds, working quickly and carefull. It looked as if Goryan had taken it easy on Kougaiji. While some of the wounds were bleeding, they weren't deep enough to need stitching or to even leave a scar. She immediately thought better of the torturer for that. "And, to answer your question... I did it because you would do the same for me."

She smiled at that and began rubbing in the numbing ointment. He never ceased to amaze her with how truly selfless he was, how much he cared for his people. A much different approach than a certain other ruler. That was three times now that he'd saved her. And three times that she owed him. She wouldn't forget it. "Thank you, Lord Kougaiji."

* * *

Yaone hesitated outside the door. It was two days after the whipping incident, where Kougaiji had stepped in to take her place. She owed him so much for what he'd done...so why was she here? A part of her knew she was crazy for even risking it. Gyokumen Koushu was bound to have spies everywhere now. But the other part...the other part simply needed to talk to someone. And he did say that was all they were doing. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

"I thought I said not to bother me, cocksuckers!"

She frowned at the response. Clearly, he wasn't talking to her. But should she...maybe it would be best not to bother him... She cleared her throat and said, "May I come in, please?"

There was a pause and then footsteps behind the door. The deadbolt slid back, the chain rattled free and the door opened just enough to frame Genjo Sanzo. Yaone tried very hard to keep her eyes on his face. But how could one NOT look? She hadn't expected leather all over...or for him to be that gorgeous under his robes, which were gathered at his waist. Good lord... She'd been drunk and almost passed out the last time she'd seen him without his robes.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. It wasn't rude, but it wasn't inviting either.

"I...I changed my mind. I'm sorry it's so last minute, but...may I come in?"

She blushed as his eyes turned from cold to confused and then back in a matter of seconds. Slowly, he stepped out of the way, holding the door open for her. "Fine, but don't expect dinner. You said you weren't coming so I didn't order any."

"And that's understandable. Forgive me." She took the cloak off and folded over the back of the chair she pulled out for herself at the table. A shot glass appeared in front of her, along with a bottle of sake.

"What's with the new cloths?" Sanzo sat across from her, pulling a cigarette from the pack on the table and lighting it. He leaned back in the chair, hand poised over the ashtray to prevent any from falling on the ground.

Yaone blushed again, running her hands down the simple green dress. It covered most of the whip marks on her back, missing only the one on her shoulder. "Oh...well, seeing as this wasn't a hostile encounter and the leather and chains can be very uncomfortable..." She let her sentence trail off.

He didn't reply to that, just blew some smoke from between his lips. "So, before you passed out, you said you traveled a lot." He poured himself some sake, glancing at her before pouring some for her as well.

Smiling, she was relieved a little he didn't read more into it than it was. Really, it wasn't anything more than that...right? 'Yes, my father and I did. All over the place. I've been all over most of China, India, parts of Siberia and Mongolia. It was fun. Difficult, but fun."

"Sure, if you're inclined to travel."

She sipped the sake and glanced at him. He was studying the table as if trying to memorize each little knick in the surface, each nail placement. She suspected he'd been drinking for a little while. "I take it you don't like to?"

Sanzo looked like he almost choked on his sake. "Are you fucking kidding me? In case you haven't noticed, I'm stuck with the Idiot Squad From Hell. I'd say it's pretty damn obvious I hate traveling."

"It can't be all that bad... can it?"

He arched a golden brow and this time she definately caught that ghost of a smile. "It's bad enough."

"Well, you weren't always with them. Didn't you travel before?" Yaone leaned forward, arms resting on the table.

He flicked some ash into the tray. "Holy missions. Be our bitch and go here, bring this back, fetch so-and-so to answer for their crimes...a pain in the ass."

"May I ask whose bitch you are?" She smiled at the positively evil glare he shot at her. "I'm sorry, really! I was only kidding."

"Hmph, better be. I've killed people for less."

Yaone laughed, taking another sip of sake. "Fine, I'll change the subject! Where have you traveled?"

He took a hit, inhaling slowly and letting it out, eyes narrowed. "China, mostly. I've been a little further north than that, not much though. And it was all for business, not pleasure."

"What I loved about it was how colorful it was," she explained, wrapping her fingers around the little shot glass. It was chipped at the lip and discolored from all the alcohol it had held. It was about as beaten up as his bag sitting in the corner. "I remember being ten, and making my first trip to Delhi with my father. It was...magical."

"Magical?"

"Yes. It was like seeing everything with new eyes. All the colors, the sounds-,"

"The smells." The last was said scathingly. "All the major cities smell like ass."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not experiencing it properly! Think about the culture of the place. All the art that's lasted through countless battles, the traditions that have been evolving through out history. It's magic."

Sanzo stared at her, that odd flicker she'd seen their first night moving through his eyes. "So why are you serving Kougaiji and not traveling? It's obvious you love it."

"Because...I already told you why..."

"Kougaiji doesn't strike me as the type to keep unhappy servants."

"I'm not unhappy..."

"But you're not happy, either."

She wouldn't look at him, staring at her hands. How did he do that? How did he seem to know exactly what she was thinking in the back of her mind? He knew things she wouldn't even admit to herself openly. It was...creepy. But a little relaxing at the same time. It made talking to him easy. She had to wonder if..."Are you empathic?"

That made him blink in surprise, brows drawn down. "Where the hell did that come from?"

Blushing again, she laughed a little. "Never mind. I'm just being silly." She reached up to itch at the whip mark on her shoulder a little.

"You were whipped?" He actually sounded almost concerned.

"Oh...uh, yes. Two days ago, actually. Can we...can we not..."

Sanzo didn't need further prompting to change the subject. "You started off as Kougaiji's healer. Now you're Lirin's babysitter? You must have fucked up badly to get that duty."

"Hey! Lirin is a very sweet girl-,"

"Sure, for a psycho." He wasn't entirely joking about it.

Yaone smiled, pouring some more sake. "Fine, she can be a handful some of the time. But I still love her very much."

"You learn to love what you can't get rid of," he muttered, stubbing out the cigarette.

It was her turn to arch a brow, smirking. "Is that how you feel about Goku?"

"Hell, no! He's more like a rash...or the plague."

She laughed again, shaking her head. "I think you're lying to yourself, Genjo Sanzo!"

"Hmph, think what you like. I know what's true and isn't," he replied curtly. But he didn't deny the statement either, she realized. He stretched over the chair a little, back arching as his arms went over his head. Yaone blushed and tried very hard to peel her eyes away from his chest. Good lord...she was behaving very foolishly! He resumed his former position again, one arm over the back of the chair, the other on the table near the shot glass. "And speaking of the truth, level with me here. I'm guessing you're not the average youkai, am I right?"

Now this wasn't a good subject. Yaone shifted uncomfortably, smoothing her hands down her dress. "What makes you think that?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

"For one thing, it's obvious you don't want to talk about it so ti must be true. For another, you're not wearing a limiter and yet the Minus Wave isn't effecting you in the least. And then there's the fact you're sitting in a room with a human and you're still in perfect control of yourself. So, that begs the question, what the hell are you?"

Yaone didn't answer. This was something not even Lady Koushu knew. She sure as hell wasn't telling the enemy! "Let's file this question under things not to ask, shall we? It'll make future conversations a lot easier," she answered softly.

"Future conversations? As in, you expect to do this again?"

"You don't?" She did look up then, eyes locking with his. Why did that make her feel so sad? His face was a perfect mask, empty and beautiful like a painting. Beautiful? God, no... She shook her head. No, she was NOT checking the priest out...

Sanzo shrugged. "That's entirely up to you. You're the one at risk here, not me."

She thought about it in all seriousness this time. He had a good point that she was the one risking her neck. Was it really worth it, just to talk to someone who understood what she was saying? To her surprise, the answer was yes. It was worth it to her to finally have someone sympathize with what she'd gone through. He didn't try and console her or offer advice. Sanzo listened, and that as it. "I...I think I'd like to, if you don't mind."

"Whatever. If I objected, I wouldn't have asked in the first place."

"Which leads me to my next question. Why DID you ask me to dinner?"

Sanzo poured himself some sake, taking a sip before answering. "Saying it like that makes it sound like I asked you on a date. I didn't. And, as I said before, it gets boring talking the same shit day in and day out."

"No, what I meant was you hate youkai-,"

"Do I?"

Blinking, she sat back in her chair, waiting for him to elaborate.

Looking her in the eye, he said, "If I truly hated youkai, I wouldn't travel with two and a half of them. The sanbutsushin _recommended_ I take them. They didn't order me to. They're here because they want to be, and I'm not arguing with that decision. I don't have a problem with the youkai unless they start one."

She knew she was staring, but she couldn't help it. "Oh." A very good point... again. "But, they wear limiters. They aren't effected by the-,"

"And neither are you. Or Kougaiji or Doukugakuji for that matter." He paused, tapping another cigarette free and holding it between his lips. "But according to you, that topic is off limits."

Yaone let out a little sigh of relief. The monk was close to guessing why...very close. She was glad he'd decided to drop the matter. "So, tell me about you. Other than the basics that our intelligence has gathered."

Another small quirk of lips to suggest a smile. "Your intelligence? Sorry, but with those numb-nuts you guys have been sending, I find it hard to believe there's much intelligence in Houtu Castle."

Bristling at the comment, Yaone folded her hands on the table and said sternly, "For your information, Lord Kougaiji hasn't been sending assassins."

"It's the higher-ups you mentioned before, right?"

Oops...another topic to avoid. "I think it's time we set a few rules here," she said quietly, horrified she'd almost let that slip out.

"I don't do well with rules," he answered. She blinked, then smiled when she realized it was in reference to his disregard of Buddhist rules.

"First off, we do not talk about anything concerning the revival project and how it works."

He nodded, ashing into the tray, "Fair enough. In exchange, nothing about my past."

"That's hardly fair! I told you about mine."

"Your prerogative. I didn't actually ask...until tonight," he amended quickly.

Yaone scowled, tapping a rounded claw on the table. "You're really very stubborn, you know."

He shrugged again, eyes glittering a little. He was laughing at her! "I can deal with that."

"Is it really that painful for you?"

Sanzo ignored her. Damn him! Why was it so difficult for him to open up a little? After a bit, he pulled the cigarette from his lips, speaking through the smoke. "When you tell me about the revival project, I'll tell you about my past. Until then, it's none of you goddamn business. Deal?"

Yaone hesitated, but nodded anyway. Really, what choice did she have? That was his rule, and she would play by it. Still... "You know I'll never tell you."

"Then you don't get that information. Now pick a different topic."

"Does Goku fall into your past?" she asked.

He shook his head, sitting forward a little. "That's a safe, if annoying question."

"Fine, then is it really true he's almost five hundred years old?" This had been something of a debate for a while with the scientists in teh castle. Dr. Huan was saying that it was impossible for him to be that old without showing some change physically. Even Gyokumen Koushu changed after five hundred years. Dr. Nii, however, went on about bending time and what not until Dr. Huan walked away in disgust. She'd overheard it in the hallway, and they hadn't known she was listening. It was very interesting, really.

"Yes, somewhere around there," he answered.

"Then why hasn't he aged?"

Again he shrugged, puting the cigarette to his lips. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, here's what I think about it. I think that-," she froze, looking over at the small clock chiming on the nightstand by the bed. Was it really that late?

Sanzo ground his teeth and stood up, slamming his palm on the offending clock. "The goddamn thing keeps going off every hour."

Yaone stood quickly, grabbing her cloak and throwing it over her shoulders, wincing when her back pulled. "I have to go. It's time for me to make sure Lirin is in bed. When... when will you be available again?" She went to the door, unlocking it again. He followed her, to lock up after she left.

He scuffed out some ash that fell to the floor with his boot. "Not for a while. Nearest town is about a week's drive from here. If I can arrange for separate rooms again, I'll leave a note at the desk."

"Okay, great. Um...thank you?"

He snorted, glancing at the door. "You might want to hurry. It sounds like Goku's done eating."

Yaone opened the door, blushing. How did he hear something even she couldn't? Odd, so very odd. She hurried down the stairs, listening as the locks slid back in place, and kept the hood of her cloak pulled closely around her face so no one could see her. The monk was right, she noticed when she snuck a peek into the common room. The other three were at the bar, laughing and drinking. She slipped back outside and hurried into the forest behind the inn to where her dragon was tied.


	3. Chapter 3

"Where are you off to?"

Yaone froze and turned around slowly. "Doukugakuji."

Doukugakuji was leaning against the corner she had just turned around, arms crossed over his chest. He had his usual smile, the one that said he at least guessed at something. "Thought no one would notice you didn't come to dinner?"

"I...I'm not very hungry at the moment. I was going to go for a walk." A very poor excuse, since it was close to raining. She certainly didn't expect Douku to buy it. Unfortunately, it was all she could think of on the spur of the moment. And besides... she couldn't very well tell him the truth.

He pushed away from the wall, moving toward her She quickly looked at the ground. Yaone knew she was a horrible liar and that Doukugakuji would pick up fast on that. "Look, whatever you're doing, just be careful, okay? Homura and his boys are still out there...and something tells me that they're almost ready to let lose with their grand plan, whatever that might be."

Yaone let out the breath she was holding and nodded. "I will be. Don't worry, Douku."

He let out a short, bitter little laugh. "I'm just as bad as Kou about that. Big brother syndrome, you know. Get going, then. It's not like it really is any of my business."

She smiled and hurried down the hall, slipping out the front gates quietly.

Doukugakuji stared after her for a second before shaking his head. "Women," he muttered. He'd known Yaone for some time now. And he knew her well enough to tell when she was hiding something. She was very private when it came to her relationships...but it had been some time since she'd shown any interest in the simple soldiers. Too many times being used and cast aside, he thought. Well, maybe she finally found a youkai lord who could love her back. It was obvious Kougaiji wasn't going to do anything about it, even though it was more than obvious to anyone with eyes the prince cared for his healer more than he should. Sighing, he turned around and went back to his own room. Women...

"Great...just great," Yaone muttered, trudging her way through the muddy courtyard to the stables where they kept the flying dragons housed. She'd been trying to leave before the rain actually started falling...and stopping to talk with Doukugakuji had delayed her just enough for it to come down in buckets. The past three days with nothing but rain, rain and more rain. As if they needed anymore of it today! She slipped into the stables and moved quickly down the line of sleeping dragons until she came to Sparky.

The little dragon opened his eyes slowly when Yaone pet the ridges along his eyes. He yawned, long tongue almost touching the ground. She'd arranged for it perfectly. Lirin was with Kougaiji (the princess had coerced her older brother into playing Parcheesi, which he hated), safely in his room for the night. The dragon master had already penned everyone in for the evening and wouldn't be checking on them again until late tomorrow morning. Yaone grabbed the harness and saddle from the hooks on the wall. Sparky stood up obediantly and let her put the gear on without any complaints.

This had been the routine every time she'd snuck out before. It had been a little over a month since they'd started meeting secretly, but it wasn't consistant. Sometimes, he couldn't get a separate room, other times she was too busy to check. All in all... maybe eight times? It was exhausting trying to make arrangements, but worth it. Everything she'd been keeping inside, things she couldn't tell anyone else, just came out when they were talking. And he didn't laugh at her (well, not much anyway) when she told him about silly things, such as about catching fireflies in the summer with her father, or the time she'd tried to teach Lirin how to bake cookies. Houtu Castle was evacuated for that one. She still didn't understand how Lirin had made the entire oven explode like that...

And she'd managed to learn quite a bit about him, not so much through what he said (which was little and usually in response to something she said) but through what he didn't say. For instance, if she asked about his childhood, he would get silent and avoid eye contact, which for him was very rare. Something had happened that had hurt him terribly. He would never admit to it, but that wound was still open and bleeding a little. It wasn't just his master's death (which he never spoke of. She knew the details from the reports on him). He wasn't the kind to be eaten away by grief anyway. It was something deeper than that. Something to do with him... As they took off into the night, the beating of Sparky's wings forced the rain up into her eyes.

This rain was just ridiculous! Yaone wiped it from her eyes as Sparky plunged through the darkness, making little happy noises at being able to play outside during such weather. It was a very long flight, and one that was against the wind so the wetness blew inside her cloak. She was glad she'd left the leather back at the castle again, opting for a simple red tunic and black pants. The clothing was supposed to be a water proof material (good for when she was mixing explosives or tonics) but she was seriously beginning to doubt that claim. By the time she found the village tucked away against the side of a mountain and surrounded by thick woods, she was drenched to the core and her legs were sore from being squeezed over the neck of a flying dragon.

She took a few extra minutes to secure Sparky to a tree with enough rope so that he could rise up from the little clearing and hunt if he wanted to. Once the dragon was settled, she began to long hike uphill to the town, her cloak doing nothing now except holding water in. She had to be insane, coming out in this onslaught just for a talk with a friend... friend! That made her lose her step and almost fall, hand catching onto a nearby bush. "Ow...damn it!" She pulled her hand back, looking at the rows of thorns latched into her skin. Yes, she MUST be insane! First, coming out in weather like this. Second, trudging uphill in the dark on a narrow, overgrown trail. And third, assuming the monk was her friend.

_Then what is he, if he isn't a friend?_

Yaone took a deep breath, shaking her aching hand out. She couldn't do anything about it until she got some light to see the damage. That little voice was getting very annoying. It popped up every once in a while to raise questions about things. It had started coming out when the Gyumaoh project was first introduced, and then more and more so as one after another the youkais were sent to die at the hands of four strangers. And now it was questioning this arrangement of theirs. To be honest, she wasn't sure anymore what the monk meant to her. She knew he didn't fall exactly into the enemy category... but dared she count him as a friend? What if it came to a battle and she was forced to choose between killing him and fulfilling her duty to Lord Kougaiji or sparing his life and betraying the man who was constantly saving her? If she hesitated, she knew for a fact Sanzo would take advantage of that in battle. He wouldn't hesitate in the least for her. No, she couldn't afford to think of him as a friend.

_But you don't truly believe him to be the enemy, either._

She shook her head, pausing outside the only inn in the village. No...she supposed she didn't. It didn't change things in the least, though. Slowly, she pushed the door open, keeping the sagging hood over her hair.

The girl at the desk looked up, a little surprised there was someone out this late in the rain. "I'm sorry, but I don't have any-,"

"It's quite alright. I'm looking for a traveling monk. He's about my height, blonde hair-,"

"Oh...him." It was obvious from the tight press of lips she'd experienced first hand Sanzo's temper. "What about him?"

"Did he leave...any kind of a message?"

"Nope. Grabbed his room key and hasn't been seen since. Are you a... follower... of his?" The way she said this implied she thought Yaone was here for another reason. One that involved her being paid for her services.

Blushing, Yaone smiled as politely as she could. No note... usually he left something there telling her yes or no. So, what did it mean when he left nothing? Only one way to find out. Sighing, she answered, "Something like that."

The girl slid a key across the desk. "First door on the left, and make sure you collect extra. The bastard threw one of my glasses into the wall and broke it."

Yaone couldn't help smile a little wider at that. Gojyo..or possibly Goku. "One of his companions must have been irritating him."

"No, he threw it at me. And all I did was ask if he wanted an extra blanket!"

She frowned, looking up the stairs. That...was odd. She could understand if it was one of the others, but he wouldn't lash out at a civilian without good reason. Offering and extra blanket was not a good reason. Taking a deep breath, she took the key and went up the stairs slowly. She paused at the top of the stairs when she heard Hakkai and Gojyo in the room next door.

"I'm worried about Sanzo," Hakkai's soft murmur said.

"Who cares about him when Goku's gone and got himself monkey-napped?" Gojyo insisted, none too quietly either.

Goku was missing? Perhaps that was why Sanzo was so angry...

"And that goddamn monk isn't doing shit about it! Fine, whatever, it's not like it's my pet anyway."

Yaone shook her head and inserted the key into the door, turning it as quietly as possible. She could feel the foreboding atmosphere even in the hallway and had to suppress the urge to pull a flash bomb out just in case she was met with the barrel of a gun. Opening the door enough to glance and see if there was a gun waiting for her, she slipped in when she saw there wasn't one, locking the door behind her.

The room was dark. Completely dark. As in not even a fire going to chase away the chill air. There were cough drops, headache and fever medicines, and a can of peaches on the table, as well as some food that was still covered up, untouched. The full moon showed through a wide window, casting raindrop shadows on the floor. The only sound was the pattering on the pane of glass and on the roof.

"Sanzo?" she asked softly, not seeing him anywhere. The door to Hakkai and Gojyo's room slammed shut before opening again and shutting more softly. She heard Hakkai call for Gojyo to wait and could only assume they were out trying to find Goku. "Sanzo, are you here?"

There was the sound of a lighter clicking, a flare of light coming from the large bed pushed just under the window. Sanzo's face was briefly illuminated before it went out. Now she knew why she hadn't seen him. He wasn't wearing his robes and he was sitting in the shadows.

"What the hell do you want?" he demanded.

The tone in his voice made her stop moving toward him. He sounded so...dead. There was nothing to that voice, no infliction of any emotion she had ever heard before. What had happened to him...? "I...I came to talk, that's all," she answered, voice shaking. God, this was not like him in the least!

"I'm not in the mood."

She hesitated, heart stopping briefly. Yaone moved over to the fire place, keeping one eye on him at all times. Her back was stiff, muscles tensed. He was putting off a very dangerous vibe. It reminded her of the time she'd seen a rajah hunting a tiger. The tiger had been forced into a cave and the rajah thought it best to go in after it. The tension in the air the, that sense of imminent death had been infectious. The entire court waited nervously for their prince. He never came back out. She began to put wood on the cold hearth, stacking it neatly.

There was a creak from the bed as Sanzo moved. "What are you doing?"

"Starting a fire," she answered simply. She pulled a box of wooden matches from the pouch on her belt and struck one, setting it to the kindling.

"If I wanted a fire I would have started one myself," he said sourly.

Yaone spared a glance for him as she stood up, taking her drenched cloak off and hanging it near the growing flames. "I didn't do it for you. I did it because I'm very cold and very wet."

Sanzo glared at her before returning his gave out the window, inhaling deeply from his cigarette. "Whatever. It's not my problem."

"No, it isn't, which is why I took care of it myself," she answered as gently as she could, pulling a chair up near the bed. She was still a safe distance from him. Safe enough to avoid an attack if it came.

"Hmph."

Yaone frowned, tucking her legs up under herself on the chair. "Where's Goku?"

"Who fucking knows? The brat's gone and it's finally quiet around here. Thank the gods."

He didn't truly believe that. It was just the bad mood talking, not Sanzo. The silence between them stretched for a very long time. Yaone knew better than to ask if he was alright. The answer was obvious. But how to figure out what to do about it was still very complicated. Sighing, she unlaced her boots, letting them fall to the ground.

"Now what are you doing?" he demanded, violet eyes flicking her way. The moonlight through the rain made them look more blue than violet. And more empty than she'd ever seen them before.

"Taking my boots off," she said, shivering at that look.

"Well, stop it. You're leaving. Now."

"No, I don't think I am. I'd rather stay here for a while."

"Go to hell and get out!"

Yaone finally met eyes blazing with anger and asked, "Aren't you the one who is always telling people to do whatever they want? So, unless you're a hypocrite, allow me to do what I want, which is stay here for a while."

She heard his softly muttered, "Damn," before he went back to staring out the window.

Yaone uncovered the food on the table, looking at the baked chicken pie. Obviously Hakkai's work. Picking up the fork, she cut through a section of the pastry.

"I don't believe I said you could have that."

"And I don't believe you were about to eat it any time soon."

If anything, the glare became murderous. Yaone put the fork down, wrapping her arms around her knees. She would rather be hungry than risk having a banishing gun pulled on her. "What do you want, Sanzo?"

The gaze softened, became confused. Then returned to the window, tracing the path of a drop down to the sill. "What I want is to be left alone. Impossible with all you fucking idiots around."

"Something tells me, Genjyo Sanzo, that you're alone way too much." She had know idea what prompted her to say that, but the slight twitch to his eye said she'd struck a nerve.

"I never would have pegged you for being full of shit," he snarled, stubbing out his cigarette in the overflowing ashtray.

"I never would have thought you a liar," she answered. She knew what she was doing. Sanzo needed to let it out and pushing his buttons was the only way to do it.

"Excuse me?" Nothing was said in threat, but the menace was still there. She was walking on very thin ice.

Sighing again, Yaone looked away. "All I'm saying is that it must be tough being alone, never letting anyone get close to you. Goku-,"

"Fuck that stupid ape!"

"- tries so hard to get in," she continued as if he hadn't just interupted her. "You keep telling everyone to do whatever they want, but what you don't realize is that you're the one keeping them from doing that. Goku _wants_ to love you. He _wants_ to help you. Why can't you let him?"

She was very, very close to the truth. She could see it in the tight jaw, the narrowed eyes. If she pushed too hard though... "I'm sorry. It's not my place to correct you."

Sanzo never responded to that. He lit another cigarette. There were already five packs on the floor. Almost two packs a day...quite a bit of smoking for him. Finally, after taking a long hit, he said, "If you're so hellbent on staying, then be quiet. I'm not in the mood for a talk, and I don't want your advice."

"Fine, I won't talk. But may I at least join you on the bed?"

This time, when he glanced at her, there was a trace of his usual arrogance. "Didn't you just come in from all this shit?"

Yaone ran her hands down her garments. Hmm, maybe they really were waterproof, she mused after finding them almost completely dry. "Only my hair is wet." She stood up, not waiting for him to answer, and sat at the foot of the bed, back pressed to the wall and knees drawn up to her chest. Making herself as small as possible, unobtrusive but there all the same. She didn't want to leave him alone like this. It wasn't good for him. Even if they didn't talk, the fact that there was another person there might be a comfort. She let out a small yawn, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle it. The whole ride here had been exhausting, and now this emotional turmoil. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back against the wall. A quick nap wouldn't do any harm. It might actually be better since she had to fly back before dawn. Slowly, her breath began to even out, eyes growing heavier with sleep until she was out completely.

* * *

"Goddamn forest! Goddamn monkey! Goddamn PRIEST!" Gojyo complained, kicking his way through the underbrush and out onto the edge of a lake. Goku had left quite a trail coming down here, practically stomping his way through the trees. His hair was soaked, his cloths were soaked and his smokes were soaked. That little shit-head was gonna pay for this! "Oi, monkey-boy! You out there? I've got some food, buddy!" Nothing. Well, that proved that he wasn't here anymore. Just whispering food would have brought the kid running.

"He ain't here. Homura has him," a deep voice said behind him.

Gojyo whirled, shakujou appearing out of nowhere. Zenon. It figures this asshole would pop up! "Where is he? Where's Goku?" he demanded.

Zenon gave him a slow smile, pulling his miraculously dry cigarette from his lips. That made him hate the god more than ever! "I already told you. Homura has him."

"You mean he kidnapped him!"

The god shrugged, not caring one way or the other. "Your choice of words, not mine."

"Then I don't suppose you would mind giving him back?" Hakkai's polite voice said from the edge of the forest. A soft yellow glow cast further shadows on the ground. Gojyo grinned in anticipation of the fight. Two to one...he'd take those odds any day!

"That will not be happening, I'm afraid," another person said, speaking in the softest of whispers that was still audible over the pounding rain.

"Why, lookie here, Hakkai! Zenon's boyfriend decided to show up," Gojyo taunted.

Shien's only response to that was to slightly crack one eye open and glance at the kappa.

"How about you two go home like a nice couple? You don't wanna piece of this right now," Zenon sneered.

"Now, Zenon, we shouldn't mock them. They are, after all, such simple creatures,' Shien admonished lightly.

"I'll show you simple creatures, dumb ass! Give us back our monkey!" Gojyo let the chain loose, swinging it in a wide arc over his head before sending the crescent blade out at Shien.

Twin whips cracked like lightening, stopping the attack abruptly. The chain and blade rattled home again. Goddamn gods! Not even a scratch on his pretty face! There was a sound behind him and then a burst of light as Hakkai let his chi loose. Again, the gods blocked it.

"How...disappointing,' Shien commented. He hadn't moved more than it took to swing his whips.

"Looks like you boys are a couple of pussies after all," Zenon added.

Gojyo's lip curled into a sneer, fingers working against the shaft of his weapon. Yeah, that monkey was gonna get his ass beaten when he got back. And the monk, too, for making them do all the grunt work! He and Hakkai dove for cover when Zenon opened fire, hiding behind some rocks and keeping their heads down. Yep, first he'd deal with these two fuckers. THEN he'd go after those two!

* * *

Sanzo watched the rain falling, completely silent. This rain was about as nasty as it had been that night. It was almost over though. And when it was done, everything would be fine. He inhaled his cigarette, blowing the smoke out slowly. The nicotine helped a bit, but not much. There wasn't anything that could completely heal this emotional scar. Nothing except for the rain to stop. It had slowed down considerably, the clouds breaking up a bit to reveal a night sky devoid of any stars, the moon the only thing casting light in the room. Besides the fire, which was almost out.

He turned toward that soft glow and then to the bed at the person who had started it. Yaone was asleep. She'd somehow pulled the blanket around herself without him realizing it and fallen asleep on his bed. Why was she still here? He didn't understand it in the least. he'd told her to go, and hadn't bothered being nice about it either. So why did she choose to stay? It was obvious, wasn't it, that he didn't need or want her help.

Except...she didn't offer help. She didn't ask if he was okay or if there was something she could do. A part of him was a little annoyed at this evident lack of concern for his well being, but the other part was glad she wasn't so cliche. Hakkai meant well, he knew that, but having him fuss around like some damn mother hen was not only annoying but making things worse. Gojyo ignored anything that didn't concern him personally. In a way, he prefered that over all the questions and offers of aid and such. And Goku...

Sanzo scowled, took another long drag and blew it out harshly. Goddamn monkey! He was just as bad, if not worse, than Hakkai. Buying all this medicine and shit, trying to take his cigarettes away. Just who in the hell did he think he was, some goddamn doctor? And then he went and got himself taken prisoner by Homura, the pretentious bastard! Fine, Homura could have him. He was sick of the brat constantly badgering him about what's wrong, what's wrong, what's wrong. So annoying! What's wrong was that none of them could just leave him the fuck alone for five minutes.

_Something tells me, Genjyo Sanzo, that you're alone way too much._

Hmph, what did she know anyway? He wasn't alone, not really. That voice...that stupid voice wouldn't shut up! Even through the cigarette-induced calm he could hear it now. It was calling for him. Goddamn it, why couldn't it just be quiet? He stubbed out that cigarette angrily, glaring again over at the bed. She thought him being alone was bad? He prefered it like that. No ties or bonds that could be painfully severed. Nothing. _Then why do I feel so empty?_ he thought. He rubbed his eyes, exhausted. Three nights without sleep. When this rain was done, he'd sleep just fine. Everything would be fine when the rain stopped.

_"Sanzo! Sanzo, why? Why don't you care? SANZO!"_

"Fucking idiot," he muttered, reaching for his pack again and lighting up. The nicotine did the trick and soon the voice quieted to a dull headache that he could deal with. If Goku was going to be dumb enough to run into the ran, he deserved to get captured by Homura. What did he care about it? Let Goku do what he wanted, and if it meant leaving him alone, so much the better.

_You keep telling everyone to do what they want, but what you don't realize is that you're the one keeping them from doing it._

What a load of shit! It wasn't like he held a gun to Goku's head and told him to leave. He left, and Sanzo wasn't about to go after him. Maybe Homura would forget to feed him or something and he'd starve to death...Sanzo paused, staring at the burning glow of his cigarette. He'd meant it as a joke...so why did it piss him off? Yaone was asleep still, curled up in a tight little ball. It was bothering him that her words seemed to strike a chord inside him. Why?

"Hmph, goddamn ape." It wasn't like he was asking for help or anything. Still...

_"SANZO! Sanzo, please!"_

He gritted his teeth and reached for his cigarettes again. Only to find them empty. Son of a bitch! That voice was growing louder and louder now, asking where he was, why did he hate it, why couldn't he just care. So many why's, so many stupid questions. "Who says I don't care?" he snarled, throwing the empty pack onto the floor. Then, it dawned on him what he'd just said. Shit...fucking shit! He shook his head, covering his eyes with one hand. All this time, he'd been trying so hard not to care...that some how he DID care. It was just like trying to ignore what had happened ten years ago. The harder he tried, the harder it hit him. Self-awareness was such a bitch at time. "Fuck!"

And Yaone had guessed this. That was what she'd meant by all that bullshit. Slowly, Sanzo stood up, legs cramped from having been stuck in almost the exact same position for three days. He winced when his back cracked, leaning toward the window to stretch it out. Damn... He glanced out the window and saw the rain had stopped. Not even a drizzle now. Nothing. He picked his gun up off the windowsill, spinning the chamber open and slipping bullets in place. The sutra was tucked against the small of his back, hidden away by the folds of his robe tied around his waist. No way in hell was he going to admit any of this to anyone. Especially not to her and the monkey! He'd never hear the end of it then. The safety slid home and he tucked the gun into the front of his belt for easier reach. He didn't expect Homura to give Goku back without a fight. And, in his present mood, he could really use the excuse to pull off a couple rounds.

* * *

Yaone made a small gasping sound when the safety clicked, sitting up and blinking in sleepy confusion. Her eyes widened a touch when she saw him standing near the bed, staring down at her. She looked...scared. "S-Sanzo?"

"I'm going out. You shouldn't be here when I get back," he said simply before unlocking the door and holding it open for her. It wouldn't do if they all returned and saw her here, in his room. He wouldn't get any peace and quiet ever again! Not that he got much now, though.

She got off the bed, grabbing her cloak from where it had been hung near the fire, still damp but drier than it had been. "Are you going after Goku?"

"Yeah. Fucking gods think they can just run off with him without even asking permission. They've got another think coming!"

She smiled a little and nodded, brushing passed him and pulling the hood of her cloak up. She didn't wait for him, starting off down the stairs on her own.

"We'll be at the next town in about a day and a half," he added, stopping her on her way down the stairs. He could tell from the way her shoulders instantly relaxed that she was glad he'd offered the information up. Sanzo couldn't help wondering if she would have shown up anyway, even if he hadn't told her when and where. Damn it... what the fuck did it matter? He had more important things to worry about...like how badly he was going to kick Homura's ass if Goku was harmed.

Yaone nodded, not looking back and continued on her way.

_What the hell am I getting myself into?_ he wondered for about the millionth time as he shook his head, walking down the stairs and out into the damp night air. "Goku's stupidity is rubbing off," he muttered, following the voice that was starting to grate on his nerves. He glanced over his shoulder before he could stop himself, watching Yaone disappear into the shadows of an alley way. Yes...the monkey was definately making him stupid!


	4. Chapter 4

Yaone fixed the heavy, leather apron around her waist, tying it on before slipping the long leather gloves covering her fingers all the way up to just under her arms. She put the protective glasses on and began arranging the glass beakers and marble pestles on the counter top. "You might want to find somewhere else to sit, Lirin," she suggested, keeping one eye on the girl as she flipped the latch on a sealed stone jar.

Lirin sat across from her on a stool, head propped up in her hands and looking vaguely interested. "Watcha doin', Yaone?" she asked, green eyes following every movement Yaone's hands made.

She carefully measured out three level scoops of fine black pellets into a mortar, picking up the pestle and knocking it against the side to make sure everything was on the bottom. Uncapping another jar, she added just a pinch of a fine white metallic powder. "I'm making some new explosives for when we go after the War Prince Homura and his entourage,' she answered absently, putting her whole weight into grinding the two ingredients together.

"You guys are goin' after Homura? Ooo, let me come, too! Please? PLEEEEEASE?"

Oops...she wasn't supposed to have said that! "This isn't a game anymore, Lirin. As King Gyumaoh's only daughter, it's been ordered that you remain here at all times. If you go, someone might get hurt." _Someone like me_, she added softly. Most of the whip lashes had healed to the point of not showing. There were two that were a little pink and shiny. At least the one on her shoulder was healed completely.

"Aww...but it's been for-EVER since I got to play with the bald monk," Lirin pouted, slumping further onto her hands. "Can I please, please, PLEASE go see him?"

Yaone dug down hard, taking out her frustrations on the pellets. It had been a long time since she'd managed to see Sanzo, too. Just twice after she showed up during the rain. And now, two more months later, here she was planning to use him as a way of finding the gods that had taken the Seitan Scripture. Somehow, the monk and his group knew exactly where Homura was hiding. So, it had been decided they would use the Sanzo party as their tracking device. She didn't like it, but she couldn't argue it logically without looking odd. Yaone made a little grunting sound as she dug down harder, crushing a stubborn pellet into fine black dust.

"Hey, Yaone?" Lirin continued, leaning just a little closer to see the results in the mortar. She tapped a claw against one of the glass beakers full of a greenish liquid.

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Yaone exclaimed.

The princess drew back quickly, a guilty expression on her face.

Closing her eyes, Yaone let out a slow breath. "Lirin...this stuff isn't to play around with! You had no idea of knowing whether or not that liquid would blow Houtu Castle sky high."

"Can it?" she asked eagerly.

She couldn't resist smiling at such a mischievous face. "No. It's the liquid form of a sleeping gas. Once it's uncorked, it melts into the air."

"Grrr... so can I come, too?"

"Ask Lord Kougaiji. I don't make those decisions." She uncapped the first hollowed out bamboo stick she grabbed, fitting a funnel to the open side. It wasn't very big, no more so that her hand, but when it was lit a person had five seconds to run for cover before they were blinded. Very carefully, she scooped some of the greyish powder out with a spoon and tipped it in slowly, tapping the stick as carefully as possible to make sure it settled evenly. She continued on like this until twelve neat little flash explosives were lined up, fuses out and caps waxed into place.

Lirin made a face as Yaone set that mortar in the sink under the counter and pulled out a bigger one. "He's too busy to talk to me! Mom's mad cuz he's not interested in one of those youkai ladies she keeps introducin' him to. Have you SEEN some of them? I'd rather kiss Goku than have one of them for a sister!"

Yaone laughed, she couldn't help it. "That's not nice, Lirin," she tried to admonish, but it was less than convincing with a smile.

"HA! Gotcha laughin'! Seriously, Yaone, I don't like any of them. They're so mean and ugly and I don't like how big brother doesn't smile around them. But you make him smile."

She blushed, ignoring her. Two parts zinc to one part sulfur... She could just imagine Lord Kougaiji would be less than thrilled with his future step-mother's attempts at marrying him off. He very rarely pulled his rank of Prince on her, but he did when it concerned this. She had no idea what he was going to do when his father was revived and it became mandate that he marry. Most youkai royals by his age (not that he was technically old at all) were married and had at least one child to show for it. "There has to be someone there you like," she offered hopefully.

"Nope. Not a single one! They didn't even say hi to me. Why my mother would- hey! HEY! Yaone, why don't YOU marry Kougaiji?"

Yaone's hand almost slipped into the putrid smelling yellow paste she was making. "Lirin! Whatever would make you say something like that?"

Lirin frowned, sniffing the air and drawing back quickly, gagging. "Well, why not? I mean, you're nice and you're smart and you obviously like my brother very much! And he likes you. And besides that, I like you! You'd be a great big sister."

She didn't think it was possible for her to blush any more until she heard the door shut and familiar footsteps behind her. "Lirin, leave Yaone alone," Kougaiji ordered sharply.

The girl stuck her tongue out but got down off the stool anyway. "So, how'd it go today?" she asked impishly, grinning evilly up at her brother.

Kougaiji ruffled her hair but ignored her. "How's everything here, Yaone? Almost ready?"

"Just about, my lord," she answered quickly, molding the paste into tiny balls and setting them aside for a thin coating of wax protectant.

"Good. Lirin...can you go help Doukugakuji get in some extra practice?"

A bold faced lie, but one the eager girl bought easily. Lirin jumped up and ran from the little room, whooping happily.

Yaone glanced over briefly as Kougaiji came closer, studying her handiwork curiously. "So...Lirin told you what _she's_ trying to do." He knew better than to touch anything. In her workshop, Yaone reigned supreme.

"She did. Would you mind passing me that bucket, please?"

Kougaiji found the bucket that was coated in a splotchy black substance on the bottom and the sides. "What is this?" he asked, peering inside with a slightly disgusted curl of his lip.

"Sealing wax," she answered, pulling open a drawer and removing the little gas heater and boiler pot to go over it. She moved it down to the opposite end of the counter before filling it with oil and lighting it up. It would do no one but the Sanzo party any good if she went and blew them all up. "Do you intend to fight it, my lord?"

"Yaone, you don't need to call me that. Kougaiji is fine." He told her that at least three times a day.

Yaone smiled, cutting off one inch square blocks of wax into the boiler pot to melt. "Sorry, it's a force of habit now." He followed her down to that end as well, still standing a little close. Did she do something wrong? Yaone put the bucket down, frowning up into his indigo colored eyes. "Is there something else wrong besides having to pick a wife you don't want? Something I can do for you, my lord? I'm yours to command."

Something about what she'd just said made him close his eyes tight, jaw clenching. He looked sad...so sad. But, why? "No...nothing," he said at last before turning in a flare of black leather and auburn hair. "Let me know when you're ready."

The door slammed shut after him, and still she stood staring in his wake, confused. Men...men were so strange at times! What with Kougaiji acting like he was trying to say something and not saying it, and then that much different (and more heartrenching) side of Sanzo she'd seen during the rain...She sighed, shaking her head as she poured the melted wax into the bucket, stirring it to knock out any large bubbles. Sanzo... That man was such a contradiction! She didn't know whether she should scream at him to get it all out, or just let him wallow in whatever mood he was in. One minute, he was almost pleasant...ALMOST. The next, his eyes looked like they did in battle; cold, empty and very removed. _Killing Eyes,_ she thought to herself, dunking the paste balls into the wax and setting them on a cool metal sheet to dry. _It's like he locks his soul away somewhere whenever he's in battle. Just to pull that trigger time and again..._

Letting out a deep breath, Yaone finished her task, running a gloved finger very carefully over an air bubble in one of the balls. Just a half hour and they'd be ready to have the wrapper put on them. The wrapper was actually a mild acid cloth that, when combined with the other ingredients, would create an explosion. By coating the sulfur and zinc in soft wax first before wrapping them and coating them again, she was ensuring there weren't any accidents. It wasn't until they were thrown and the wax broke that they would explode. She put the mortars into the sink filled with soap and hot water, stirring the wax in the bucket every once in a while to keep it from cooling too quickly.

This was getting more complicated the more they saw of each other. She suspected Doukugakuji didn't really believe she was sneaking out to see a youkai lord. Just after their last run-in with the Sanzo party, he'd been giving Hakkai very evil glares. Hakkai...nothing against him (he WAS very nice, a perfect gentleman) but she just didn't feel anything toward him. Just a polite recognition of a peer. He didn't make her want to risk her very life just to sit in silence with him.

_Are you certain that's all there is to it?_

Yaone paused in drying her tools. Yes, of course it was...wasn't it? It wasn't like she was _attracted_ to Sanzo or anything! Granted, he was very nice to look at, but so were the other two. Goku had great promise of being just as attractive when he matured. So, if it was a question of physical liking, then she liked them all. But it wasn't that, and she knew it for a fact. She wasn't one to look at a pretty package and take it straight to bed!

_But you know Sanzo isn't just that. So...what is it that keeps you going back? The fact that you're both very lonely?_

That got her to frown, brows wrinkling. She wasn't lonely, not completely anyway. She had Lirin, and Doukugakuji...and even Lord Kougaiji. If she was lonely, it was more of an emotional nature then an actual physical one. And... she was. She didn't want to admit it, but she would, if only to herself and (possibly) Sanzo. Doukugakuji had a painful past, but he'd already put it behind him, talked about Gojyo and his mother openly. Lirin was too young to fully understand what true pain was. And Kougaiji... Kougaiji stared at his pain everyday, in that stone room strung over with talismans and carvings. The one where is mother was entombed. His pain was different. He knew there was a way for his mother to come back. She knew there was no way her father would. There was no cure for the dead.

She sighed again, closing her eyes. The freshly ground up gunpowder made her think of him. It was one of the reasons she didn't care for her job. But, Lord Kougaiji asked her to do it, and she would until she died or he dismissed her from it. She wished she could wipe her eyes, but she was still wearing the protective gear. She wished she could just go to her room, have a quick cry in private and get it over with. She wished... she wished...

_She wished she could see Sanzo right then. He always made her feel better, whether he was trying or not. And, she needed that more than she really cared to admit. Could it be...could she possibly be feeling..._ That made her open her eyes. Sanzo... of all the people, why did it have to be him she was attracted to? Just saying it to herself, putting a name to the queasy feeling in her stomach, the speeding up of her heart (not to mention the fact she was blushing like crazy) was almost too much. She, Yaone, Prince Kougaiji's apothecare and explosives expert... was falling for Genjyo Sanzo, the most wanted man, human or demon, by the youkai empire. God...what a mess this was! "And there's no one to save me this time," she muttered, practically slamming the cabinet doors right through the wall.

Why him? Of all the times and of all the people, why now and why him? She could literally walk into the officers' barracks, point a finger and that youkai would be more than willing to sleep with her, no questions asked. So why was she falling for a human man who would have no problem pointing a gun at her and shooting her dead in the face?

_Maybe you think you can change that? After all, he doesn't shoot at Hakkai, and he said you were as tolerable..._

No, that wasn't it. There was no changing Genjyo Sanzo. It was more... it was more that she could depend on him not to leave her. This mission had started nearly a year ago. Countless assassins later, they were all still alive. Sanzo wasn't dying that easily! And it was this that made her feel for him, the fact that he would survive most anything thrown at him. After losing the one person she held most dear to her, she needed that stability. But why a human, especially one she SHOULD be trying to kill?

_You can't really help who you're attracted to. And there's nothing wrong with the monk. True, he's a human, but there's not much difference between human and youkai, now is there?_

She quickly blocked the little voice from making any further comments. "God, do I know how to screw things up!" she said bitterly, redipping the balls into the wax and setting them out again. They wouldn't be perfectly dried by the time they left, but close enough. She was hoping they'd have a decent enough fight with the gods. In this current mood, she needed to blow something up!

* * *

"MAKAI TENJYO!"

The entire glittering new world began to crumble instantly, the blue sky melting away into darkness, green grass and yellow flowers bleeding together in a muddy pool. The stone which had been acting as a way of giving power to this world cracked and shattered, burying Homura's broken and bleeding body under it. The doors...the golden doors were still open. They had to get to it before all of this faded to nothing again!

"Gojyo, Hakkai!" Sanzo glanced over his shoulder at the two, both barely standing yet trying to hold the other up.

"Just get your holy ass moving," Gojyo shouted, crimson eyes set resolutely. They would make it through that door if it killed them.

All four began to run for it, Goku slipping back to help the other two out. They stumbled through the gates of the new world, Sanzo slamming them shut just as the last sliver of green grass was absorbed back into the darkness from where it came. He sat down heavily on the ground, breathing hard, and pulled out his cigarettes. Damn...goddamn...

"Goddamn it, my lighter's dead," Gojyo choked out, lying flat on his back. "Yo, lemme use yours!"

"Fuck off," Sanzo snarled, lighting his own cigarette.

Gojyo pushed himself up onto one arm, glaring at the monk. "You selfish dick! You've used mine before!"

"You let me use it. You didn't have to."

Hakkai was unmoving except for the rapid rise and fall of his breath. "You two...please...stop...fighting?" he got out, clutching his side. Blood was seeping through the green tunic, turning it almost black.

"Hakkai? Hey, Hakkai, stay awake, okay?" Goku shouted, crawling over and slapping Hakkai's cheek lightly.

Hakkai made a little face, eyes opening. "Please don't hit me, Goku. I have no intention of falling asleep right here!"

All four of them looked up as the ceiling cracked, dust falling on them. "Oh, shit," Gojyo exclaimed, getting quickly to his feet. He grabbed Hakkai's wrist and hand, hauling the other man up as well. Sanzo and Goku kept eyes to the ceiling as they began backing out from under the slabs just beginning to break free. "Man, this is just like that scorpion bitch's place all over again!"

"Except we do have a way out this time," Hakkai pointed out quickly. "Hakuryuu, transform!"

The little white dragon hovering nearby disappeared in a flash of light, turning into their Jeep. Gojyo helped Hakkai into the driver's seat before jumping over the side into the back with Goku. Sanzo took the passenger seat, gripping the OS bar so hard his knuckles turned white. Soon Hakkai was racing toward the doors at the other end of the room, eyes narrowed and focused. "Thank goodness the stairs are wide enough for Hakuryuu to drive down, otherwise we'd be screwed," Hakkai commented with a nervous laugh.

There was a cracking sound and then a loud thud as the first piece of ceiling caved in, knocking out one of the pillars in the magic circle drawn on the floor. Sanzo glanced back when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He drew his gun in case it was one of the other two gods still alive. Instead, he saw white leather... Yaone was dragging Lirin behind her at a full run, keeping Doukgaukuji and Kougaiji in sight. They were making for the service elevator it looked like. Not the best idea when the whole damn building was collapsing around them, but he wasn't them. And, once again, the Seitan Scripture eluded his grasp. He could see it clutched tightly in Kougaiji's fist. Damn it! He heard Lirin yelp as she fell, saw Yaone run back to her. And also the slab of concrete plummeting for her head.

Shit! Without thinking, he stood up in his seat, hair blowing into his eyes from how fast they were racing across the floor. Aiming carefully a little ahead of the boulder, he fired three shots. He had enough time to see that all three found their marks, breaking the stone up over their heads before the Jeep bounced violently as it slammed through the closed doors and down the stairs. The force of it knocked him right off his feet and into the back seat almost. The only thing that saved him from falling head first into Gojyo's lap (an area he wanted to avoid at all costs) was the firm grip he took on the back of his seat. Sanzo twisted around again, keeping the gun ready but resuming his death grip on the OS bar again.

"Why'd you do that, you stupid monk? They're the enemy, remember?" Gojyo exclaimed. "We're not supposed to be saving them as much as we are!"

"I wasn't saving them, jackass. They have the Seitan Sutra. It's no good to anyone destroyed." Even as he said that very convincing reason, he knew it wasn't entirely true. Yes, the Seitan Sutra was a priority...but he'd been thinking about a certain youkai healer when he fired those shots. The fact that he was also preserving his master's legacy only occured to him afterward. The wound Homura had inflicted not even four days ago on his chest ached and he put a hand to it, grimacing as it came away red. Goddamn bastard! Hadn't he lost enough blood already on this stupid mission? It was starting to cloud his thinking, make his stomach all weird. These feelings were NOT in response to almost seeing Yaone crushed to death. Just blood loss...yes, that was it. He kept repeating that to himself as they burst free of the castle, the Jeep sailing through the air and hitting the ground with a neck snapping thud.

"Ow...that hurt, Hakkai," Goku complained from in back.

Gritting his teeth, Sanzo pulled his fan out and layed a hard one right the the kid's head. "SHUT UP!"

"And so did that! Geez, I'm hurt enough without you two adding on to it!" Goku yelped and ducked as Sanzo brought his arm back threateningly. He remained silent all the same.

Sanzo crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his hand pressed over the wound. That feeling back there...it was very similar to the one he felt when his master died, one he didn't like in the least. It was as if something had taken a hold of his heart, dug nails in and squeezed it into a mash of jelly that leaked between their fingers. And, try as he did to convince himself it was because of his master's sutra, he knew that it had more to do with Yaone than the other. Kougaiji and Doukgakuji weren't even under the rubble-fall. The scripture was already safe. _So why did I do that? It wouldn't have effected the mission or me if they'd died. So why did I fire the gun?_ This wasn't the first time the youkai healer had stirred some new emotion in him. That night with the rain... after he went and retrieved Goku (without a real fight, unfortunately) he'd stayed up the rest of the night, unable to sleep. And it was all because he kept hearing her words in his head, seeing her asleep on his bed. It should have annoyed him, and it did a little. But the feeling that was most prominant was one he'd never felt before in his life. He didn't have a name for it, and the only things he could compare it to were the ones he had for his master...and for Goku. A deep caring. It didn't cover exactly what it was, but it was close enough for now. He cared a great deal about Yaone.

He scowled, fidgeting in the seat. She'd somehow wormed her way passed his defences and made him care for her. Damn her! He was beginning to understand why the traditional monks despised women to the point where they weren't even allowed in the temple. He'd thought it was stupid. A man would go mad without some kind of release, and he'd learned to control his body so that it did what he wanted and when. Now he was beginning to question the wisdom of that choice. Women were inconvenient at best and a damned pain at worst. A bought and paid for blow job was better than any emotional attachment any day...right?

Funny, but that arguement wasn't working very well anymore. "Goddamn it," he muttered. No one responded to that. They were used to randomly muttered cusses. Fuck, he'd been kind of hoping Gojyo would be dumb enough to ask him what was up. That fan was all but begging to be swung at someone's skull!


	5. Chapter 5

Hakkai slowed the Jeep down as they approached the large wooden gates bound in steel bands. A group of guards stood outside, fully armed and looking fierce. "Oh...my," Hakkai said softly. Everyone was midly shocked. Most of the time, the human establishments looked half demolished from attacks. This one was in pristine condition. The girl in back with Gojyo and Goku beamed proudly and waved at a guard running toward them.

Reiku smiled at their surprise, giggling behind her hand. "That's just the home guard," she explained.

The guards surrounded the Jeep, and the one man who was running didn't stop until he was whisking Reiku out of the back and kissing her noisily. Even Gojyo drew away in mild disgust. "Reiku! I thought you were...mmmhmphra...dead," the man said between frantic kisses.

"Tell me why we stopped again, Hakkai?" Sanzo demanded angrily. He looked ready to break out the fan (or the gun) any minute.

Hakkai laughed nervously and answered, "Because she was a damsel in distress and her father is the mayor of the city and will probably reward us for our bravery?"

Sanzo's only reply was to cross his arms more firmly over his chest and try not to glare daggers into the happy couple's back.

The two finally stopped with their warm...greetings... and the man turned to smile at them, his arm still around her waist tightly. "I'm Jing, Reiku's future husband. I can't thank you enough for saving her! When I found out she had been kidnapped, I thought the worse, but immediately went out searching for her. Where did you find her?"

"Back in those hills," Hakkai said with a polite smile. "We were actually on our way here when we heard her scream."

"Well, thanks again. Listen, let me make it up to you. The finest hotel we have, and whatever you want to eat and drink."

"Now, THAT'S what I'm talkin' about," Goku exclaimed happily, hugging his rumbling stomach. Hakkai put a restraining hand on Sanzo's wrist to keep him from drawing his gun and shooting the boy.

"Not to mention, you came just in time for the New Year's festival and parade. And...it's our wedding day, isn't it cutie wittle cuddlekins?"

Gojyo's eyebrows were nearly in his hair line when Jing said that. What kind of self-respecting dude said things like 'wittle cuddlekins'? "Well, sounds good to me. How 'bout you soldier boys take us to this hotel then?" he suggested quickly. The cutesy fest was gonna make him hurl any minute!

Another soldier, who was also eying the pair with something close to sickness, stepped up. "I'll show you. It'll be better to walk, though, since we're all set up for the New Year's festival. You can park your Jeep over along the side by the gate if you want."

"No need," Hakkai said, unfastening his seat belt and getting out. Everyone else followed him, Goku helping him with the bags. The Jeep disappeared and turned into the little white dragon that was it's other form. Hakuryuu made a cheeping sound before landing on Hakkai's shoulder, tail wrapping around his neck for a better hold. The green eyed man reached up to pet him quickly, smiling to himself.

"Oh...okay," the man said in awe. Even the happy couple stopped to stare at the spectacle of a Jeep turning into a dragon. "Well, um, if you would only follow me, I'll show you in."

The heavy gates were opened, slowly revealing the pandemonium inside. The city was a BIG city, full of multi-story buildings, crowds of people and loads of open air stalls selling all sorts of things. From every window, balcony and alley way hung brightly colored banners with gold emblems of a ram on the front, as that was the year they were entering into. Lanterns were strung up and lined the main street, vendors were offering brilliantly colored clothing and charms for luck. The whole atmosphere screamed with life!

"Amazing," Hakkai breathed, smiling brightly.

"Oh, WOW! Look at all the food," Goku exclaimed, eyes dancing and what suspiciously looked like drool hanging from his lip.

"Damn...goddamn," Gojyo remarked as they pushed passed the crowds of people. Three women smiled and winked at him, blowing kisses which he pretended to catch. "Hey, when we come back from India, you guys can just leave me here!"

"How about we leave you here now?" Sanzo said dryly. Gojyo flicked him off behind his back.

"Sanzo, you could try just enjoying yourself for a change," Hakkai commented, blushing when a pretty girl made it a point of rubbing against him as she passed.

"Yeah, it wouldn't kill you to crack a smile or something," Gojyo added. He smiled and winked at the same girl. She giggled, covering her mouth with her hand.

Goku scowled and shoved the red-head. "Lay off Sanzo, ya pervert! He'll smile when he wants to!"

"Why are you hitting me? I didn't start it, it was all Hakkai!" Gojyo shouted back angrily.

Sanzo growled, gritting his teeth. This was a punishment. Some sick psycho god or goddess was purposely sticking him with these three morons and making him go crazy. The sooner they got the the hotel and they went to their own rooms, the better!

They found the hotel at a busy intersection of two major roads. It was very well kept from the outside, with three stories to it and lots of windows. Certainly one of the nicer places they had come across on their journey. Their guide assured them it had a great view, as well as great access, to the festival. The only one not enthused by this news was Sanzo. He led the way inside, still silent and still very pissed off. The others followed behind, planning what they were going to do first.

"I wanna get some spring rolls and pot stickers and-,"

"Hey... Hakkai, we could get pretty shit faced tonight."

"Yes, it's been a while, hasn't it? I'll get the first round."

Sanzo's teeth were grinding together hard enough to be heard. "Do whatever the hell you guys want, just do it more quietly!"

"Four rooms for these gentlemen, under Captain Jing's tab," their guide said, eying the monk's fists with a mixture of wariness and shock. But...monks were supposed to teach tolerance...

The girl at the desk nodded, marking them off for four rooms. "Since you're guests of the Captain, I'm sure he'd like for you to stay in our luxury suites."

"Did she just say...," Goku began, letting go of Gojyo's shirt, eyes wide. They'd just been about to start a fight.

"Luxury...suites?" Gojyo finished. Both of them looked ready to die happy on the spot. Hakkai was glancing nervously at the person most likely to do the killing.

Two boys came and took their luggage up the three flights of stairs to their floor, all the time making idle chatter about such-and-such site or 'this place here'. No one except Hakkai seemed to be really listening to them. Gojyo and Goku were too busy arguing about nothing, and Sanzo was trying very hard not to kill them both where they stood.

"WHOA!" Goku exclaimed, running down the elegant rug on the floor and searching the doors for his number. He found it and jammed his key in, unlocking it and went inside without bothering to shut the door. His whoops and hollers of delight echoed back to them. "YOU GUYS GOTTA SEE THIS!"

"Well, if it's enough to make the monkey forget about food..." Gojyo found his room and went inside with a little smirk. "HOLY SHIT! Hey, Hakkai, get in here!"

"I will in a minute," Hakkai answered. His room was right next door to Sanzo's. Smiling quickly at the monk and shrugging, he went in, jaw dropping and for once speechless. "Good lord! This is... wow!"

Sanzo shook his head, muttering under his breath about 'idiots being easily dazzled by shiny objects' before opening his door. He stopped in the doorway, eyes flicking over the room in surprise. He had to admit he was very impressed. Not over crowded with useless shit (like vases and flowers) but very rich. Silk sheets with a hand made down comforter and pillows, curtains hanging from the ceiling for more privacy. Wooden shutters over the wide windows and for the balcony overlooking the main street. A large fire place with a table and four comfortable looking chairs in front of it. He was exploring the bathroom's luxuries and didn't notice until he came out that everyone was crowded in his room. "What the..."

"Lookit the view, Gojyo!" Goku called, leaning over the wide balcony rail and peering down.

Gojyo went up behind him, clapping a hand to the back of his head and pushing lightly. "Yeah, at this height you'd probably break your neck and never be able to eat again!"

"Gojyo! That's not funny! If I never ate again, do you know how horrible it would be?" Goku complained, shoving him away roughly. They were only kidding around now, acting like brothers.

"I must say they gave you a prime view of the festival," Hakkai commented to Sanzo as he stood shaking with rage.

"What...are...you...all...doing...here?" he ground out angrily. "Ten fucking hours of having to sit in a Jeep with you three and now you're invading my room?"

"Well, I came in to see if you wanted anything specific since it would be wise to get the shopping done before the festival," Hakkai explained with a sheepish smile. "And Goku's room doesn't have a view of the street, so he wanted to see it. And Gojyo...well...I don't really know why he came in!"

"To protect you from the monk," Gojyo called from the balcony. He whistled shrilly down at someone on the street. "Hey, ladies! Glad to see the decorations aren't the only nice view from here!"

"Ew, pervert!" Goku sneered, coming back inside. "Why's he so nasty?"

"He can't help himself," Hakkai laughed.

"Most morons can't," Sanzo muttered darkly. He took the sutra off, rolling it up neatly and peeled his robe down to remove the sliced leather from underneath. "See if you can get this fixed. Also, a carton of cigarettes and two- no, three- boxes of bullets."

"Three? That's a bit much, don't you think? The next town is only a day away."

Gojyo came strutting in from the balcony, grinning broadly. "See you guys later!" He practically sprinted down the stairs.

Sanzo motioned after him. "That's why. Something tells me I'm going to be using a lot of bullet over the next few days."

Hakkai raised a brow, smiling softly. "Few days? As in, we're going to stay here for a little bit?" Goku was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, fingers crossed in anticipation. They were all very tired and still a little sore from the run in with Homura. It was only Sanzo's stubborn will (not to mention fierce temper) that kept them going for as long as they did.

"It's as good a place as any. We already killed the local youkai and our status as heroes should be good for a couple days' stay here. Besides, there's no way a leather maker is going to repair that over night."

Laughing, Hakkai folded the garment over his arm. "I suppose we should all be grateful then. I was hoping you'd say we can take a break."

"YIPPEE! Come on, Hakkai, hurry up! What if they sell all the meatbuns?" Goku dragged Hakkai from the room eagerly.

"We'll be back later, Sanzo," the green-eyed man called after them. He managed to shut the door behind him quietly despite Goku's insistant pulling.

Sanzo shook his head, rolling the sleeves down and off, removing the robe the rest of the way and folding it up neatly. He went over to his bag sitting on the bed, digging through until he found a spare shirt Hakkai had purchased for him a while back. Just a simple blue shirt with long sleeves and enough give to it he could pull it over his head. He hated it, thought it looked like ass on him, but he had to admit it came in handy at times. Like now when he refused to wear the robe without something under it. He had just settled into a chair, putting his reading glasses on and flicking his paper open when a knock came at the door. "What now?"

The door opened and a young girl came in, smiling. She stopped when she saw him, eyes wide and something weird happening to her jaw. It looked like she was trying to say something but couldn't get it out.

Sighing, Sanzo folded his newspaper and said, "What do you want?" Was he ever just going to be left alone?

"I-I-I came to...to see when you'd like me to service you- er, I mean, serve your...dinner," she stammered out. She was staring at him like he'd grown an extra arm or something.

Completely baffled at why she would be reacting so oddly to him, he shook his paper out. "Six. And make sure there's plenty of sake."

"Sake? But... I thought that monks..."

Sanzo pinned her with a cold glare. "Did I stutter? Sake with my dinner. Lots of it."

The girl gasped and ran for the door, practically slamming it shut behind her.

Grumbling, Sanzo went back to his paper, scanning the page for where he left off. It was then that a sudden thought slammed into him, making him look up again. Yaone...after the rush in getting out of Homura's palace, they hadn't found time to meet. He was a little surprised at how disappointed it made him to think she wouldn't come. The one time it was almost too perfect a situation (a room alone and anyone who could cause a distraction gone for the evening) and she wouldn't be there. Goddamn it! He threw the newspaper down, irritated to the point he didn't even want to read the damn thing anymore. "Son of a bitch...what a great way to start the fucking New Year!"

* * *

Yaone waited in the shadows of the forest nearby, a little apprehensive. She was sure the Sanzo party was here. Rumors of four men slaying a group of youkai pinned it to this spot. And, naturally, she went to investigate the claims...

But what a large city! There was no way she could slip inside without someone noticing she was a youkai. Which was why... She pulled out three simple gold bracelets and slipped them onto her wrist, hissing at the sharp static shocks that kept jumping from her wrist to the metal bands. Limiters were so uncomfortable! She didn't know how Hakkai and Goku could wear them all the time! But it was the only way she could sneak in passed the guards. Gritting her teeth at the little zaps, she came forward, keeping the hood of her cloak up.

"And they came in this afternoon, with Reiku totally unharmed!" one guard exclaimed to the other.

"Wow...we truly are blessed tonight. A wedding, the New Year and a sanzo priest all on the same day," the other added in awe.

"Excuse me," Yaone said with a quick smile. "This sanzo priest you mentioned, where might I find him?"

"Oh, down the street, four blocks up on the left," the first guard said quickly and without hesitation. Foolish of him. He could very well be telling an assassin where to find Sanzo. _He's lucky that I'm not an assassin tonight_.

"Thank you," she said, stepping through the open gates. They gates shut behind her and she stared in awe at the wild press of people all around her. There was literally almost nowhere to maneuver in the madness. Belly dancers, contortionists, flame-eaters, drunks, vendors and people walking around to take it all in were crammed as far as the eye could see in a wash of color and light. Prostitutes mingled with the upper class, fine upstanding citizens by day were now laughing and dancing in a lewd manner. This...this was just insane! How in the world was she supposed to get through all this?

Sighing heavily, Yaone began to push and elbow her way through the crowds, jumping when a few hands ventured where they shouldn't. She wasn't dressed overly sexy. Her green dress with the slit in the side, nothing fancy, and yet she was still getting as many leers as when she wore the leather. Unbelievable! It took all her will power to just ignore them and carry on twsiting her way further into the celebration. When she got to the hotel, she had to practically squeeze her way around a couple madly making out in front of the door. They had obviously just been married, judging from the rings on their fingers and how happy they looked together. Once inside, she smoothed her hands down her skirt, shaking her head. That was just ridiculous. If it didn't die down by the time she was ready to leave, she was just going to spend the night. She had enough money to get a hotel room somewhere and wait it out until the next morning.

"Can I help you, miss?" a man at the front desk asked pleasantly.

"I'm looking for the sanzo priest," she said with a polite smile. Her jaw clenched, waiting for the usual question.

"Are you a...'follower'?" It was the same at every inn and hotel so far. And here she thought Sanzo was the only truly corrupt monk!

"Yes, yes I am," she said tightly. God, the reputation she was garnering...

Smirking and leaning over the counter, eyes dropping lower than her neck, he said, "How about when you're done with him, you come and pray on your knees for me? I bet I can pay as much as he can..." His hand reached out toward her.

Yaone grabbed his wrist, digging her nails in hard. If she'd had her claws, his wrist would have been torn wide open. Yet another reason why she hated wearing the limiter. She twisted a little, keeping the smile pinned to her face. "And how about you keep your hands to yourself?" she suggested calmly.

The man winced, tears in his eyes, and nodded quickly.

She released him, taking small pride in the fact that perfect half-moons from her nails had dug into his wrist painfully. "The room number?"

"Three-oh-three," was the choked answer.

"Thank you. You've been very helpful tonight." Yaone smiled sweetly again as she headed up the stairs, not bothering to glance back at the man. The little pained whimper was enough. She felt bad she'd had to resort to force, but no one, not even a prostitute, deserved to be treated like a piece of meat!

The third floor was reserved for private luxury suites, the dark wooden floors polished bright and peeking out from beneath an ornately woven rug. Woven tapestries hung on the walls between the rooms, tables under them with deep crimson and white orchids. Very nice...Houtu Castle had once looked this grand. She remembered seeing it for the first time almost three...no, four...years ago and how there were still pockets of beauty in the growing darkness. Rooms that remained untouched and completely filled with ancient paintings, rich tables and noble artifacts. So much had changed in those four years...so very much. Now, any room that wasn't being used was stripped clean, the treasures sold to pay for the scientists and their research. They were sealed shut so no one could enter them. The few gardens left had been destroyed and turned into training grounds for the army. The only garden that survived was the one that belonged to Lord Kougaiji's mother. He'd fought Gyokumen Koushu bitterly for that one piece of land, and had reached a compromise with her by giving up his old room in favor of a smaller, less furnished one. She still remembered the mix of anger and agony in his eyes as he watched everything he'd had get carted off and sold away. Books his mother had given him, his first sword. Everything that had been from his life before being sealed away. That was when Yaone first began to truly despise Gyokumen Koushu

Sighing, shaking her head to clear it from such unhappy memories, Yaone searched along until she found the correct room, stopping outside the door, uncertain. He wasn't expecting her. What if he had gone down to celebrate with the others?

_This is Genjyo Sanzo we're talking about. He's in his room, not on the street._

True...very true. He didn't seem the type to enjoy such a spectacle. She knocked on the door and waited for what felt like ages. Finally, the lock slid back and the door opened just a bit. She caught a glimpse of dark blue and a quick glint of metal before Sanzo opened the door more to frame him. "So...how'd you find me?" he asked, the gun still held in his hand. It wasn't pointed at her anymore at least.

Yaone couldn't help smiling. It seemed to annoy him that she'd been able to locate him so easily. "May I come in, or do you want to discuss this in the hall way?"

He made a sound that could have been a grunt or a short laugh and stepped away from the entrance. A sake bottle was held loosely in his other hand. "Lock the door behind you," he said over his shoulder as he went back over to the wicker chairs in front of the fire, settling back into it. The room was lit from the fire on the hearth, casting a warm glow over the dining area but very little anywhere else. The curtains were drawn over the windows, but the balcony doors were open, letting in a fresh breeze as well as the noise from below.

"Do you want the balcony shut as well?" she asked, locking the outer door and removing her cloak.

"The room's non-smoking. Leaving it open airs it out."

"Then shouldn't the windows-,"

He glanced up, his reading glasses catching the firelight and sparking. "Too much noise. The balcony's a compromise."

A compromise... didn't she just finish thinking about another very different compromise? An odd choice of words, to be sure. Yaone set her cloak over the table by the door and took the chair to his left. He didn't look up from the paper bound book folded over on its self, the spine bent and clearly falling to pieces. The book itself was very worn, the pages faded and a little stained. It looked almost like blood stains.

"Where are the others?" she asked. The room was certainly big enough for all of them to sleep here comfortably, but she didn't see any extra cots or mattresses anywhere...

"They're out there," he answered absently, brow furrowed.

Yaone sighed, pulling her boots off and tucking her legs up into the chair. It was surprisingly comfortable for wicker. A pale green bottle came into view and she took it from Sanzo, who handed it to her without even looking. "Thank you."

"You've got some catching up to do."

"Oh, is that so?" She laughed, pulling the stopper out and looking around for a cup.

"They cleared the plates already. You'll have to drink from the bottle."

No big deal. It was sake, and sake was good anyway it was served. She took a sip, catching the drop that spilled onto her chin and flicking it off her fingers. Lovely... that was incredibly attractive there! But, what did it matter, really? After all, she wasn't trying to impress him... _Liar._

Yaone frowned. No, she wasn't lying... She wasn't like those other women who made it their mission to gather all the men they could to their skirts. She was who she was, and that was it. "So how did you end up with a non-smoking room?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Just lucky, I guess," Sanzo said sarcastically, flipping the book over so he could see the next page.

"And this fits the budget for the temple?"

"Not my tab. Some official's daughter got herself kidnapped and we just happened to be in the area. Which reminds me, how did you track us down?"

"The reports of four crazy men who killed off almost a hundred demons on their own tipped me off."

That got Sanzo to look up. "There were survivors?" He sounded very disappointed.

Yaone shook her head, fidgeting with her skirt. She understood that it was kill or be killed, but it didn't change the fact that he had been a part of why some of her kind were dead. "No...just rumors from the humans in the area that the youkai band's bodies had been found in the forest."

"Oh. And here I thought we were getting sloppy."

She shifted again, not at all comfortable talking about this. He treated their deaths so casually, as if they didn't have lives of their own. She knew a few of them, knew their grieving widows and children. Yet another reason why this whole arrangement was so incredibly stupid!

Sanzo closed the book after folding over a corner and took his glasses off, putting them into their case and setting both objects onto the table roughly. "It was them or me. What was I supposed to do?" he asked bitterly before tipping the sake back and draining off a good bit of it. He was getting angry.

"Nothing. You did what you had to do," Yaone answered, startled by the outburst.

"Then why the hell are you mad at me?"

"I'm not mad..."

"Bullshit. I can see it in your face." His lips twisted into a sneer as he pushed to his feet, grabbing his cigarettes roughly from the table and walking out onto the balcony.

Yaone scowled, glaring at his back. What was he so angry about? She got up, following him. "It's not the killing that bothers me, it's how casually you joke about their lives," she answered, trying very hard to keep from screaming at him.

Sanzo leaned against the door frame, cigarette outside and bare feet crossed at the ankles. "I wasn't joking."

"Fine, so you were serious about the 'getting sloppy' comment you made! But you still don't give a damn that those youkai had lives the same as humans. There are victims on both sides, not just yours!"

"My side? I have no side," he snarled, eyes glittering dangerously. "Don't go twisting your own problems onto me. I have enough shit to deal with on my own!"

Yaone took a deep breath, and then two more. Calm down...calm down... This was getting nowhere. Rubbing her temples, Yaone took a hesitant step closer. "Look, I'm not trying to say what you did was wrong. In the same situation, I wouldn't hesitate to kill just to stay alive. But...do you understand that I knew some of those people? When I go back tonight, I'll have to hear the wails of their families that they'll never return. It...it hurts. I don't like the fact that you had to kill them...but I also don't like the fact that it could have been you."

He remained silent, watching her intently.

She sighed again, hugging herself, chewing on her lower lip. How did she tell him what she was thinking when even she didn't know? "It's confusing and complicated and I don't know..." Tears fell slowly down her cheeks. This was so much more difficult than she'd thought it would be! So foolish of her, really, to assume that they could meet secretly, talk, and then go about their merry way. She was getting attached to someone most likely to die in the very near future. After all, she couldn't expect him to win every fight. So very foolish...

"It doesn't have to be complicated," he finally said. "The door's right there." The words were harsh, but the tone wasn't. He was just stating a fact.

Yaone looked over at the door...and didn't want to leave. What she wanted to do was stay with him and pretend everything would be okay. God, she was sick... She looked back at him, studying his closed off face. Not a trace of emotion there, a perfect blankness. He didn't want her to know what he was thinking. Was that good or bad? She wanted to know. She finished going over to him, reaching out slowly.

"What are you doing?" Sanzo asked. It wasn't biting, more confused. And that look in his eyes, as if this were something foreign to him. Like he'd never been touched before.

"Just... let me do this. I need it." His back stiffened as her hands touched his waist lightly before sliding around to his back. She pressed her forehead against his shoulder, felt the heat from his skin through the light shirt. She could smell the cigarette smoke on his clothing, mixed with the soap he'd used. An odd combination of dirty and clean. Right then, in spite of the fact that he was her enemy, she just needed to hold something. The feel of him against her was more comforting tha arousing, the steady rythme of his heart against her chest, not at all in time with hers but just as solid. That's what she needed; something solid, something guaranteed. Everything was just so confusing! This situation, their fight...the mixed feelings for the man she was holding. But, did he...could he possibly... Sanzo was still unmoving, perfectly still and very tense. Yaone's breath caught, a little disappointed but not surprised. No, he wouldn't reciprocate. Why would he? She was about to pull away, cheeks burning in embarassment...

When Sanzo curved one arm around her, his hand on the middle of her back. The other still held his cigarette. "Damn it," he muttered. "This doesn't change anything. We're still-,"

"Enemies. Yes, I know." She still didn't want to let go.

* * *

Goku shifted nervously, sitting next to the girl whose name he couldn't remember. They had met over dinner (she'd been serving it and was really nice) and then she offered to show him around. It had been lots of fun...until now. "So, um...it's only eleven. Why'd we have ta come up here so early to watch the fireworks?"

The girl smiled, blue eyes sparkling. She flicked her long dark hair back, legs swinging over the side of the roof they were sitting on. She'd told him this was the best view of the city. And it really was great! He could see everything from here, even their hotel! "Well... ," she giggled, taking his hand and squeezing it. "I thought we could...get to know each other better."

He was confused now. What'd she mean about that? She already knew all his favorite stuff and told him about hers. He just couldn't remember it, like her name. "Umm...okay?"

Her eyes closed and she began to lean torward him. Goku raised a brow, staring at her pursed lips. Was she tryin' to... He looked away, unsure what to do. This was weird... His gaze strayed over to the balcony outside of Sanzo's room. And widened considerably. No...freakin'...way. "HOLY CRAP!"

The girl yelped when his head collided with hers, grimacing and rubbing the spot. "OW! That really hurt! Hey...Goku! Goku, where are you going?"

Goku opened the door leading back into the restaurant and sprinted down the stairs. Hakkai and Gojyo were never gonna believe this! No way were they gonna...but they had to! He found them at a table, drinking and laughing. He shoved the women around Gojyo aside and grabbed his shoulder. "Hey, guys! Guys, you'll never believe what I just saw?"

Gojyo swiveled around, eyes a little bleary. "Whazzat?"

"Did you see a meatbun stand, Goku?" Hakkai asked, setting his mug down.

"No! I saw Sanzo...and he was huggin' some woman!"

Both Gojyo and Hakkai exchanged looks, eyes wide. Then...they began to laugh, Gojyo pounding the table with his fist. "Yeah...ahahaha...sure...hehe...Sanzo and a...hahaha...woman!"

"Really, Goku, if you're going to try and pull a prank, at least make it believable," Hakkai added around his laughter, rubbing his eyes.

Scowling, Goku stamped his foot. "But...I DID see 'im! And her! I did!"

"Oh, really?" Gojyo asked, stifling his laughter enough to speak. "And...how did you see all this?"

He blushed, glancing over his shoulder. He didn't wanna tell Gojyo about the girl. Gojyo'd make fun of him and he didn't want that. "I...I..."

Snorting, Gojyo lit a cigarette. "See? You can't answer the question cuz you didn't see shit!"

"Grrr!" Goku stormed off. Fine! So they didn't belive him, so what? He knew what he'd seen! "I'm gonna go get some food!"

"You shouldn't go peeking through windows, ya perverted monkey," Gojyo hollered after him.

"JACKASS!"

"APE-FACE!"

"WATER SPRITE!" Goku tuned him out, running toward the nearest stand selling food. He'd talk to Sanzo about it later. Right now, he was starving!

Gojyo laughed so hard he slipped out of his chair. "Man... that monkey's just too goddamn funny!"

Hakkai was laughing quietly, head resting on his folded arms on the table. They were both quite drunk, Gojyo surrounded by his own harem of women, Hakkai smiling and shaking his head 'no' to tell them he wasn't interested. "Honestly, Sanzo...with a woman?"

The red-head was laughing so hard no sound was coming out and he was clutching his sides, nodding weakly. "Him...yeah, right!"

"And besides that, our rooms are on the third floor. How on EARTH could he have seen anything from the street?"

Both of them started laughing again as their glasses were refilled from one of the women, who ended up falling into Gojyo's lap, giggling as he pulled her in for a quick, sloppy kiss. Hakkai blushed a little and turned away discreetly, ignoring his friend's blatant conduct. Yes, it was far more believable Goku saw something else and that Sanzo was sitting alone in his room, as usual. He smiled and then laughed as Gojyo's chair tipped over, spilling the red-head and the woman in his lap over the side.

"Ow...that SUCKED!" Gojyo declared, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head, wincing.

Hakkai shook his head, eyes sparkling. Yes, the only one attracting the ladies tonight would be Gojyo.


	6. Chapter 6

Doukugakuji stared straight ahead, at attention as Kougaiji paced back and forth, eyes bleary and a little blood shot. The Prince had been up all night worrying over Yaone, who still hadn't shown up. She'd never missed a New Year's dinner before. And he was very reluctant to tell the agitated prince why he thought this year was the exception.

"Just where the hell did she go?" Kougaiji growled, fists clenched tightly. Lirin was nodding off again, having been woken earlier by her brother's irritated griping. She quickly picked her head up again, blinking awake, before falling forward. Her head snapped back up again. No way was the princess going to make it to midnight.

"Attendance has never been mandatory, Kou," Doukugakuji soothed. "You can't be mad at her for not coming when she didn't have to."

"It doesn't matter! What's important is that she still hasn't come back yet! And what is she doing right now?"

Yawning, Lirin flopped back on her brother's bed. "Maybe she snuck out. She's been doin' that a lot recently, you know!"

Doukugakuji closed his eyes. Damn that girl! If Kougaiji was angry before... He opened his eyes, saw Kougaiji glaring at his sister on the bed.

"What do you mean by that, Lirin?" he bit out sharply.

Lirin, catching the change in her brother's voice, sat up, frowning. "Well...she's been takin' Sparky a lot at night, which is why I haven't been goin' out at all! And she's been acting all weird and quiet and stuff. Hey! Maybe she has a boyfriend!"

The scowl and the fine tremble shaking Kougaiji's shoulders made Doukugakuji take a step forward and Lirin gulp before she moved further back. "Kou..."

"You...knew," he ground out, glaring over his shoulder at the swordsman. "You knew...and you didn't tell me!"

Sighing, Doukugakuji let his hand fall back, staring at his boots. "I didn't have a reason to tell you, Lord Kougaiji. Can you really blame her? She waited for you, you know. And when you didn't...when you couldn't...give her what she wanted, she went elsewhere."

Kougaiji's shoulders didn't relax at all. "Who is it?"

"You don't want to know that, Kou. It'll only twist the knife."

"WHO?"

Letting out another sigh, Doukugakuji spread his arms wide to show he had no clue. Yaone was being very careful though. He'd tried to follow her a few times, and each time she'd managed to give him the slip. Sometimes he wished she wasn't so damn smart!

Grinding his teeth, Kougaiji began to pace again. "If it were a youkai, she wouldn't be hiding it! It has to be a human then. A HUMAN!"

"What about Hakkai?" Lirin piped up, tossing one of the pillows up and down over and over again.

Kougaiji slammed to a halt, both men looking at the young princess with wide eyes. She wouldn't... "Hakkai?" Kougaiji asked softly.

Sitting up again, Lirin shrugged, grinning. "Why not? They're always so nice to each other. And she's said if it weren't for the stupid war, she'd be his friend."

Hakkai...and Yaone? Doukugakuji swallowed heavily. Gods, he hoped not! Yaone wasn't stupid, not by any stretch of the word. She wouldn't do that, especially to Kougaiji. "Kou...you know she wouldn't dare betray us like that."

"Yes... but it makes sense," Kougaiji answered softly, fists clenched again. He moved for the door, long white leather vest blowing out behind him. "I'm going for a walk. Inform me when she gets in."

"Hey, Kou! Kougaiji!" Doukugakuji started after him, pausing in the door way. Great, now he was going to be all kinds of pissy! Sighing, he shook his head for about the millionth time today. Women...

* * *

Yaone saw the people below setting up for the fireworks, her head still resting on Sanzo's shoulder. His cigarette had long ago been flung away, but they still stood together, her hands on his waist, his arm around her shoulders. She let out the breath she was holding slowly, closing her eyes. He shifted a little, still uneasy about the close contact. It was obvious he didn't do this often. Yaone could smell the gunpowder now from below, opening her eyes and picking her head up. The wind was getting a bit chill now. She shivered but pulled away from him all the same. "Let's go inside," she whispered.

Sanzo didn't say a word, just pushed away from the door frame and followed her back into the room. Yaone glanced back when he shut the doors firmly, locking them and then went around to the windows, checking the locks on them as well.

"No one's going to attack tonight," Yaone explained, still hugging herself. Or, at least the last time she'd checked there were no scheduled assassinations.

"Youkai aren't the only ones after us," Sanzo answered, checking the door before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

A loud **_boom_** shook the entire front of the building and a moment later red and blue lights flooded the sky. Yaone's head snapped back around. They were starting early... She'd been hoping to leave before they started and be far enough away by midnight that she wouldn't see them. She turned around again when something cold hit her hand. A sake bottle.

"There's only two more left, and no way in hell am I finishing them."

Smiling sadly, she pulled out the stopper, taking a quick sip. "I should just learn to avoid holidays."

"That's like trying to run between raindrops. Avoiding something doesn't change it." He walked away from her, taking care where he stepped in the nearly pitch dark room. He pulled himself onto the bed, resting his back against the head board, his head leaning back and eyes closed. He looked like someone trying to keep the world out. She followed him to the bed, sitting at the foot of it with her back pressed to the canopy pole. _Running between raindrops..._ What an interesting way to say it. She knew he didn't like the rain for some reason, but she wasn't going to ask. It was none of her business, really. Sanzo would deal with it as he saw fit.

Another explosion and wild cheers came up from below. White and gold lights this time, quickly followed by green. The music got louder, fueling the cries of the people celebrating. Yaone kicked her boots off and moved up to the head board next to him, sitting as close as she dared. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

A violet eye cracked open, glancing at her. He didn't say word, not even when she slid her hand over his. That hard gaze looked down at their hands for a moment before he turned his over, their palms touching. Yaone smiled softly, risked putting her head on his shoulder again. He didn't argue, but he didn't encourage her either. Maybe... maybe he himself was confused by all this. Or maybe he was just being nice...though she doubted very much he was the type to allow physical contact 'just to be nice'. "Sanzo?"

He let out a long breath and muttered, "I was almost asleep. What?"

"Sorry... and thank you."

"Hmph, whatever. Now be quiet or get out."

* * *

Hakkai laughed as he and Gojyo stumbled, his incredibly drunk friend slamming him hard into a wall. "Ow...Gojyo, you're crushing me," he choked out, still laughing through the painful tears pricking his eyes. Gojyo had passed out in bed with three women. One of them, a very nice girl actually, managed to find him and tell him where Gojyo was, as well as give him Gojyo's wallet. He'd thanked her by buying her a drink. And she'd tried to thank him for that... but then he'd remembered his friend's condition and left her pouting alone at the bar.

"Heehee... sooorrrryyy, 'Kai! You smell like beer," Gojyo grinned, sniffing at Hakkai's hair. 'An' wimmin! What you been doin', eh?"

"Not much. Come on, let's try and get these stairs."

As they staggered to the stair case, Hakkai practically dragging the taller man with him, Gojyo began to sing under his breath, something about bouncing tits and... well, he'd rather not think about the rest. The first three stairs were tricky, but after that they found a system. Hakkai first, pulling Gojyo up, stop to breath and regain balance, repeat. Once to the second landing, Hakkai paused, breathing hard. It had been a while since he'd had to drag a drunk up stairs, and it was showing. He made a mental note to start working out a bit more.

"Oh, no, Gojyo! Get up! Come on, Gojyo, I can't carry you," Hakkai exclaimed as his friend began to slump down onto the landing.

"Jus' leave me here. Someone'll find me," The red-head mumbled.

"Are you kidding me? Someone will _trip_ on you and break their neck! Come on, up!" He tugged on a leaden arm, slinging it over his shoulder and grasping the wrist with the opposite hand. His arm then went around Gojyo's waist and they stumbled back, slamming into the wall behind them. "I swear... you are the most contrary drunk, Gojyo!"

"An' yer not even drunk, 'Kai! Why's that?"

"Oh, rest assured, I'm plenty drunk. You're not the only one swaying, my friend."

Gojyo giggled at that, head falling back "Y'know...haven't seen th' monkey anywhere. Think he got ape-napped again?" He laughed as if he'd said the funniest thing ever.

Hakkai cracked a smile, vision wavering a little. He was not passing out drunk on a landing in a nice hotel! It was completely inappropriate and...well... and the floor wasn't too comfy either. Taking a deep breath, he managed to push them away from the wall. In fact, he pushed so hard that they went flying up the stairs, Gojyo's foot catching on the last one and sending them sprawling to the ground. "Oof...ouch," Gojyo groaned, pushing himself up shakily.

Hakkai rolled over onto his side, blinking when he saw little grey lines in his right eye. Oh... oh, dear! His monocle was cracked. "Well, that's just lovely! Sanzo is going to be pissed about this!"

"Hehe...who cares 'bout him? He's off gettin' laid! Maybe he'll be happy cuz we had sooo much fun. You had fun, right, 'Kai? Didja? Didja?"

Chuckling softly, Hakkai got to his feet again, leaning against the wall. "Yeah, I had fun. Up you go!"

"Whoa... 'Kai, not so fast, man! Almost tossed my cookies!" Gojyo's feet got tangled as they walked, and he was groaning with each step. "Shit... Hey, 'Kai... oh, shit..." The red-head slumped forward, completely passed out.

"Oh...damn!" Hakkai caught him, bracing himself before they both collapsed again. This wasn't good! He glanced up and down the hall to see if someone might be out. He didn't see anyone until... Eyes narrowed, he called a bit of chi energy to his hand, illuminating the hallway. Someone was sitting outside Sanzo's door... "Is someone there?"

"Meatbuns... my sweet dumplings..."

Blinking, Hakkai dropped Gojyo, who groaned again and woke just enough to settle his arm under his head, and went to investigate. It was either some crazy food-obsessed demon... or... "Goku?"

Goku was curled up in a tight little ball outside Sanzo's door. A little strand of drool hung from his lips and he was shivering slightly. Well, it wasn't exactly warm in the hall. Hakkai crouched down, fell to his knees from poor balance and, after straightening out the spinning behind his eyes, shook Goku roughly. It was the only way to wake him without food. "Hey, Goku? What are you doing outside Sanzo's door?"

Goku blinked sleepy golden eyes up at him. It was always a little unnerving the way they seemed to glow like that, especially in the dark. "Huh...is it morning yet? Did I miss her?"

"Goku, what are you talking about?" Hakkai asked. He looked over his shoulder as Gojyo coughed and made a weird sound.

"Well, I was gonna come an' check on Sanzo," the boy explained. "I wanted to see if he was okay an' all. An', when I was about to knock on the door... I heard a woman in there! At first, I thought it was a youkai, but I didn't sense anything. So I waited cuz Sanzo'd be pissed if I just ran right in. An'...an' then I heard..."

"Heard... what?" God, please not that...

"I heard Sanzo _talking to her_!"

Hakkai blinked, sitting back on his heels a bit. Goku was giving him such wide hopefuly eyes. Oh, he still didn't think that... "Um, Goku, men and women CAN just talk together. Not everything that goes on behind closed doors is...THAT. I think maybe Gojyo's been too much of an influence on you."

"I take offense to that," Gojyo muttered from the floor.

Gritting his teeth and growling in frustration, Goku stood up, fists clenched. "I wasn't sayin' they were doin' THAT! Sanzo's not a pervert like Gojyo!"

"Would ya lay off for a bit, monkey? I'm too goddamn plastered to kick yer ass!"

"An besides, since when has Sanzo ever 'just talked' with a girl, huh? Somethin's not right and you two are too drunk to see it! What if that woman was a youkai?"

"You said just now you couldn't sense anything," Hakkai pointed out as gently as he could.

" 'Sides that, we'da heard gun shots or somethin'. No way would Sanzo let some tart pull one over on him," Gojyo added, pushing himself up on one arm.

"Well, maybe he DID fire his gun an' we couldn't hear it cuz of the fireworks! What if he missed an' now he's bein' eaten? You know how they're always tryin' to eat Sanzo!"

"Goku, trust me, Sanzo is fine. Please calm down before you wake him up." Hakkai cast a nervous glance at the door.

"Oh, shit, that's right! He's probably drunk and tired." Gojyo scurried to his feet, catching himself on the wall, the alcohol induced haze quickly being pushed back. If that monk came through the door drunk and angry...

"How can you guys just stand there an' not worry?" Goku continued, voice rising louder and louder with each rant. "An' what if he DOES have a woman in there for THAT reason? That's not like Sanzo at all!"

Goku was so wrapped up in his ranting that he didn't notice Hakkai backing away slowly, sweat beading his brow. Gojyo yelped and dove for cover.

"Then that's his business, not ours," Hakkai continued, eyes locking with blazing violet ones. Dear God... this wasn't going to be good.

"But it's not LIKE SANZO!"

A soft click and then the gun was leveled against Goku's head. Goku gulped and turned slowly, eyes threatening to fall from his head. Sanzo stood in the door way, shirtless and bleary eyed as if he'd just been woken up. And he was beyond angry. If Goku was't careful, that gun was going to hit him for real this time. "S-S-Sanzo..."

"I thought I heard a monkey out here," he said coldly. "Ten seconds to get to your room or you'll need a goddamn cork to keep your brains in. Ten...nine...eight.."

"Wait, Sanzo, lemme explain," Goku tried, backing away quickly. Gojyo was already yanking at a door frantically.

"Goddamn it, why isn't this damn thing opening?" he shouted.

"One, because it's locked. Two, because that's MY room," Hakkai answered, quickly locking an arm around Goku and pulling him back.

"Seven... six...five..."

"You sadistic bastard!"

**_BANG!_**

The bullet just singed a strand of Gojyo's hair. Gojyo's eye twitched angrily as the smoke rose from his damaged locks. "You...you... YOU ALMOST SHOT ME, YOU PRICK!"

"And you said ten seconds," Goku was quick to point out.

"Sorry, can't expect a drunk guy to count straight. Or shoot straight for that matter," was the cold reply as Sanzo took aim again. "Let's see if I can trim off the other side, shall we?"

"HAKKAI! GET THE GODDAMN DOOR OPEN NOW!" Both Gojyo and Goku were frantically pulling at the door, eyes shifting nervously to the angry monk.

Sighing, Hakkai pulled his key out. "You truly are sick, Sanzo."

"It depends on your definition of sick. And if any of you disturbs me again before I come down for breakfast, I'll kill you, no questions asked."

Hakkai laughed at that, still able to find amusement in the situation. He opened the door and the other two dove in, both scrambling to get under the covers and cower. He sighed again, shaking his head. So much for the comfy bed. He should have just stayed on the landing as Gojyo suggested! "Good night, Sanzo."

"Piss off!" The door to the monk's room slammed shut and Hakkai could hear the lock slide in place again.

Turning to the two cowering in the bed, he said with a twisted little smile, "Should I leave you two alone?"

"Huh?" He could see the heads turn under the blankets too look at each other. "AHHH!"

"Get outta the bed, stupid chimp!" The taller lump shoved the smaller one roughly.

"No, you get out! I was here first!" The smaller one shoved back.

"Like hell you were!"

Hakkai covered his eyes as the bickering continued. Honestly... pushing a chair closer to the fire, he sat down in it, closing his eyes. Tha familiar weight of Hakuryuu settling himself on his lap made him smile, petting the soft white hide gently. The little dragon kyued in surprise at the resounding thud coming from the bed. If they weren't careful...

A sharp pounding on the wall next to them made them both clam up instantly. "SHUT UP NOW!"

* * *

Yaone first woke up at the sound of metal on metal. Blinking in the dark room, she sat up, unfamiliar with the surroundings. She relaxed when she saw the smooth expanse of Sanzo's back. The chamber flipping closed made her wake up completely. "Sanzo?" she asked softly.

"Goddamn morons," he muttered, heading for the door.

It was then she heard the shouting from the hallway. Was that... Goku? Her first instinct was that there was a fight outside so she began to scramble out of the bed.

"Stay there. It's just them."

Yaone did as he asked, tucking her knees around her. Her dress was going to be so wrinkled in the morning. She'd stayed far later than she'd planned, but they'd both been tired (not all of it from the sake) and ended up falling asleep together.

Sanzo opened the door and she caught a glimpse of brown hair, heard the shouting more clearly.

"Then that's his business, not ours," was Hakkai's calm advice. What in the world...

"But it's not LIKE SANZO!"

Yaone stifled a gasp as Sanzo clicked the safety and held it to Goku's head. "I thought I heard a monkey out here," she heard him say. "Ten seconds to get to your room or you'll need a goddamn cork to keep your brains in. Ten...nine...eight.."

There was a frantic scuffle, more shouting and shouting as Sanzo began to count down. Yaone did gasp when he fired the gun.

"YOU ALMOST SHOT ME, YOU PRICK!"

"And you said ten seconds!"

"Sorry, can't expect a drunk guy to count straight. Or shoot straight for that matter," he replied. "Let's see if I can trim off the other side, shall we?"

Yaone covered her eyes, shaking her head. Where did she go wrong? Here she was falling in love with a man so twisted he'd fire at his own friends! She looked up again when the door shut and Sanzo came back to bed, lifting the blankets enough to cover them both before letting out a frustrated sigh. "This happens a lot, I'm guessing?" she asked softly, turning on her side toward him.

Sanzo rolled over onto his back, facing the door. Again, it was most likely habit, just like checking the locks. Keep tne entrance and exits in view as much as possible. "It happens too much for their own good," he muttered, hitting his pillow hard before resettling his head.

She smiled, hesitating a little before slipping her arm around his waist, feeling his soft, warm skin under her hands. He stiffened, his right hand clenching the sheets. "Do you mind?" she whispered, her breath stirring pieces of golden hair. It struck her once again how it seemed he'd never just been touched or held by someone.

He was silent for so long she thought he'd fallen asleep again. Then, just when she wasn't expecting an answer, he said very softly, "No." His hand relaxed it's death grip on the sheets, shoulders slumping just a bit.

Yaone smiled again to herself, tightening her grip a little. She wasn't expecting him to cuddle with her or anything. That wasn't something Sanzo would do. But the fact he was letting her hold him was... it was very nice. Muffled arguing came from the room next to them and Sanzo snarled low, pushing himself up enough the bang on the wall, "SHUT UP NOW!"


	7. Chapter 7

Gojyo's breath sucked in with a sharp hiss as he flung an arm hastily over his eyes. "Gah...!" The light coming in from the unshuttered window was blindingly bright against his throbbing eyes. Wait... no, his whole fucking head was throbbing. There were only two people who would be so cruel to him. One shot at him the night before. The other... "Hak-kai? You...bastard!" His voice sounded barely this side of the grave it was so hoarse.

Hakkai's pleasant laugh came from the balcony. Gojyo wondered if he could hit the green-eyed youkai with his shoe from the bed. He was half tempted to find out when...

"Mmmrrr... izzzit breakfast?"

The half-demon's eyes fully snapped open at that sleepy voice. "WHAT THE HELL?" He fell out of bed in his haste, his ass hitting the floor hard. "Ow... goddamn monkey! Get outta my bed, you pervy primate!"

Goku blinked, sitting up and scratching his head, dull golden eyes adjusting to the light. And to the room that wasn't his. "Hey... where am I? And is that bacon I smell?"

Laughing again, Hakkai's smile faded briefly behind a grimace as he sipped his tea. The faint smell of it came in with the morning breeze and made the other two gag. A combination of anise and rotted fruit... yum! "Oh, sorry! A cure for the common hangover. Though... I would almost say it's just as bad," Hakkai explained when he noticed their faces go a little green. Though, Gojyo had to admit his was going that way BEFORE the tea hit him. Just how torn up did he get last night?

"You're still drinking that shit? Man, your stomach's gonna die from that," Gojyo exclaimed, getting to his feet and pulling a hair tie from his pocket. He hated having long hair when he was hung over. It just flopped everywhere and got in the way... especially if he was going to be sick. Like now. "Uh... 'Kai?"

"Hmm?"

"Bathroom?"

Hakkai pointed calmly in the direction, taking another sip of the awful tea.

"Thanks, man." Gojyo began to hurry to the bathroom.

Only to be stopped by a brown blur that stretched itself across the doorway. "NO WAY! I'm goin' in first! You take too long!" Goku's eyes were no longer sleepy and unfocused. The kid was wide awake and ready to fight over the bathroom.

"Like hell I do! Get outta the way, Goku!" He could feel the bile trying to worm its way up his throat. If the brat didn't move in about thirty seconds... Gojyo looked pleadingly to Hakkai for help as he continued to try and shove by the effective obstacle Goku was making. If he opened his mouth again, he was going to hurl!

Sighing, Hakkai set his tea on the table by the balcony door and came over, gently putting a hand on Goku's shoulder. "Goku, please let Gojyo through. He's not feeling very well this morning."

"That's his own damn fault for gettin' drunk! S'no reason why I've gotta let him in first," Goku replied beligerantly.

"Why don't you go next door and see if Sanzo's awake? Maybe he'll let you use his bathroom."

That got Goku to pause, thinking. They all knew there was no way Sanzo would ever let any of them (except for perhaps Hakkai) use the bathroom in his room. But the temptation of waking the priest up... it was something Goku couldn't refuse! _Slick one, Hakkai_, Gojyo thought with a little smile. His friend really was an evil genius at times.

"Okay! Here ya go, degenerate!" Goku shoved back and between the two taller men, running for the door.

"Like he even knows what... oh, shit!" Gojyo stumbled to the toilet just in time.

Hakkai was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his stomach as he watched, shaking his head sadly. "Then again, seeing you in such a wretched condition makes me appreciate that tea more."

Gojyo's answer required no words and one gesture. And he kept it up until Hakkai's laughter trailed back into the bedroom. Goddamn smug bastard!

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku ran out of the room, grinning happily. Sure, Sanzo was gonna be cranky and probably hit him with the fan. But he could take the abuse if it meant food in the end! He stopped outside the door, knowing it would be locked. Lifting his hand, he was about to knock...

When he stopped, frowning. That woman was still there. She was STILL THERE? Which meant... which meant she'd spent the night! Sanzo let her sleep in his room? His forehead creased as his eyebrows drew together, golden eyes glaring at the door. He debated about smashing through it to find out what was going on... but Sanzo would kill him for sure if he did that. So, he did the next best thing.

Goku sat with his knees up to his chest and to one side of the door, ignoring how pained his stomach was. If he wanted to find out what was going on, he'd have to be patient. He would wait here until Sanzo or the woman came out!

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone woke up again when she heard fitfull coughing and felt the bed move as Sanzo got out, heading for the bathroom and trying to smother the cough. Groaning a little, she closed her eyes and tried to suppress her inner healer that wanted to remind him it was because he smoked too much. It wasn't her business and it would make him angry... even if she _was_ right! Sighing, she reached over the side of the bed for the alarm clock. Six o'clock. She didn't have to return until at least nine when Lirin was woken up for breakfast. Just another hour or so here...

The door opened again, the light clicking off. Sanzo didn't come back to bed. A soft clicking sound, a flare of light and then the smell of a cigarette. Yaone smiled to herself. If they wanted to defeat the Sanzo party, all they had to do was destroy every smoke shop between here and Houtu Castle. That alone would deter them from continuing the journey.

"Yaone?"

She opened her eyes again at the soft question, peering at him from between strands of hair. "Hm?"

Sanzo was looking at her, one arm crossed over his stomach while the other supported the cigarette. "Nothing. Thought I heard you wake up."

"Uh-huh." She yawned, covering her mouth and sat up on the bed, wrapping the still warm blanket around her shoulders agains the chill morning air. "I woke up when you did." She could have sworn she saw him blush a little...but maybe she was just so tired she was seeing things.

"I figured as much." He went over to the far window, opening one shutter to cast a pale grey light into the room before stepping away from the cold air with a sharply inhaled breath. His shirt was draped over one of the chairs and he quickly pulled it on, somehow managing not to set the pale blue fabric on fire with his cigarette. "Coffee?"

"If you don't mind." She stretched her arms back and over her head, letting the blanket fall to the bed. She shivered but didn't pull it back in place. "May I start a fire?"

"Do what you want. I'm getting coffee." She couldn't help smiling at his back as he left the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. Yaone went over to the fireplace and stacked a few logs neatly before breaking out her wooden matches and striking one, setting it to the kindling. It didn't take long for the fire to build up and begin to snap. She sat down in front of it, tucking her legs to one side, and held her hands to the warmth. It had been so nice yesterday! What a drastic change the weather had taken.

The door opened a moment later and Sanzo returned with coffee, two mugs... and the newspaper. Yaone accepted the coffee he poured for her with a grateful smile, glancing at the newspaper he was beginning to take apart longingly. "I don't suppose you would allow me to have to sudoku puzzle, would you?" she asked. She already knew...

He handed it to her without a comment, settling himself in a chair and putting his glasses on. Yaone stared at the section on the low table in front of her and blinked. That... hadn't been what she expected. Not questioning the generous action (for him), Yaone fished a small pencil from her belt pouch lying on the table and began filling in numbers silently.

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai looked over as Gojyo nudged him sharply. Following where Gojyo was pointing, he paused in locking the door to his room and sighed. Not again... "Goku... please don't tell me you still think there's someone in there!"

Goku's reply was a scowl.

That expression got both their attentions. Goku was being very serious about this. Perhaps... "I give up!" Hakkai went up to Sanzo's door and knocked. It was time to settle this once and for all!

"Hakkai... are you fucking crazy?" Gojyo hissed as he and Goku both scurried for cover. "That guy hasn't had coffee yet!"

Hakkai smiled. He was perfectly aware of that fact. He wanted Sanzo pissed off enough to frighten Goku out of this little theory of his.

The door was practically ripped from its hinges. Hakkai blinked. Sanzo... was wearing his glasses. Which meant he'd been up and awake for a while.

"Make it fast. My coffee's getting cold," the monk snarled, eyes snapping angrily.

Okay... maybe he'd just woken up! Usually after the first cup, Sanzo was little less likely to kill without question. Laughing nervously, Hakkai said, "We're going shopping now. May we please have the card?"

The door slammed in his face before it was quickly opened again and the gold card shoved into his upturned hand. "Bother me before I leave this room, and they'll be digging your graves this afternoon!" The door was slammed shut again and locked.

"Well, that was rude," Goku muttered, peering out from where he and Gojyo were hiding behind the same table as the night before.

Sighing, Hakkai shook his head. At least he got one of the things he'd been after! "Come on, I think Sanzo owes us a nice breakfast out." He grinned as he tapped the little plastic card against his fingertips.

Gojyo laughed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Hakkai... evil bastard extraordinaire! Get a move on, chimp! I've only got a little more time to get some action before we leave this place!"

"Ew, pervert!" The arguing continued back and forth as Hakkai scanned the visitor's guide he'd picked up the night before to find the nicest (and most expensive) place for breakfast. After the way Sanzo had acted, it was only fair he 'apologize' with a decent meal... right?

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone glanced up, now working on the crossword puzzle. "Was that them?"

"Yes," Sanzo said irritably, settling himself back in his chair with his paper. "Just like I said."

She nodded, setting the puzzle down. "Would it be best if I left now?"

He shrugged, eyes scanning the article he was reading. "It's your choice. I figure since both Gojyo and Goku went, they'll be gone for at least another three, maybe four, hours."

"Yes, but do you want me to go?" she asked, watching his reaction closely.

Sanzo's lips curled into a sneer, but it lacked the usual venom she was used to seeing, especially when it was directed at his companions. "If I didn't want you here, I would have told you to leave already. Don't ask stupid questions. You're smarter than that." The last part was muttered so low she almost didn't catch it.

She smiled and she picked the crossword back up. "Then if you want me to stay, I will."

"Whatever."

>>>>>>>>>>

Doukgakuji stopped in the entrance, waiting for Kougaiji to acknowledge him. He knew the prince was aware of his presence, and also that he wasn't being snubbed on purpose. This room had a very sacred place for Kou. It was escentially his mother's tomb.

Kougaiji stood as close as he could to the frozen form in stone. The talismans strung from it kept him from getting closer. Not even a powerful youkai prince could break through them. So how was it Gyokumen Koushu and her scientists could do it? Doukgakuji knew that was exactly what Kougaiji was thinking. Neither of them liked the fact they were slaves to that bitch's whim. The only piece she was holding over them was here, in this room. If they could only find a way to...

"Is she back yet?"

The question startled Doukugakuji, as well as the tone. "Kou..."

Turning enough to look over his shoulder, the young prince's hands balled up into angry fists. "Is Yaone back?"

Sighing, the swordsman hung his head, unable to answer. Now the shit was really going to hit the fan!

"Send a scout party. Something must have happened."

"Kou... hold on a sec!"

Kougaiji was already making for the door. "Yaone isn't the type to stay out without so much as a word otherwise! What if she got hurt and can't get back?"

Doukugakuji didn't bother reminding him that Yaone was a healer and could take care of any injury herself. "I know she's fine, Kougaiji. Trust me. Yaone will be back in time to be with Lirin."

Letting out a low, frustrated sigh, Kougaiji nodded. "Yeah... just let me know when she gets here, okay? And give me a few minutes to myself. I think... I think I might know how _she_ did it."

Eyes widening, Doukugakuji nodded without a word and backed out. If Kou could figure it out... they could all give that bitch the finger and walk out of her little war! He left his prince alone, making for the stables to wait for Yaone. He didn't notice the figure standing in the shadows, glasses catching the light from a cigarette flare, or the twisted little smile on those lips. If he had, he wouldn't have left Kougaiji alone.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone didn't bother folding the paper as she stood up, her back cracking a little from being in the same position for so long. She finished her third cup of coffee quickly, now fully awake, and tried to fix her hair as she rushed over to where she'd left her boots. She'd just caught sight of the time and realized she was already extremely late. As in, almost three hours late! She stamped her feet down hard and looked around for her bracelets. Where did she put her limiters?

A soft tinkling sound came from over where Sanzo still sat. He held her bracelets dangling from one finger, eyes still on the paper. "Looking for these?"

"Yes... thank you." Yaone quickly slipped them on and grabbed her cloak, thankful it was still cold enough she could get away with wearing to hood up without looking suspicious. "I'm sorry to rush out like this but-,"

"Stop apologizing and go," he answered, getting to his feet and setting the paper on the table. He followed her to the door as usual to lock it after she left.

"There are three villages nearby here. Do you know which one you'll be going to yet?" she asked over her shoulder as she pinned her cloak shut, fixing the hood over her hair far enough to obscure her features.

"Sengoku. Hakkai seems to think we can cross that desert in a day if we start early. So, probably that evening if it can be arranged." Sanzo unlocked the door and opened it a little bit, checking to see if the halls were clear. "You're good."

Yaone nodded and squeezed between him and the door. "I'll check back if I can." Without thinking, she leaned up and kissed him lightly, missing the startled expression on his face as she hurried down the stairs and out of the inn. The streets were surprisingly crammed with people out looking for the after New Year's sales. Keeping her head turned down and her cloak closed around her, Yaone began to weave and push through the people. She gritted her teeth when her foot was stepped on hard, and ignored the shouted cusses when she cut through a line of people. This was ridiculous!

At one point, there was such a thick crowd surrounding a noodle stand that she quite literally was shoving people aside to get through. Her shoulder slammed into someone's a little more forcefully than she intended and she turned with an apology on her lips that faded quickly when she saw who it was. "I'm sor..." Oh, no!

Hakkai's eyes widened when he saw her. Gojyo and Goku were placing their orders as loudly as they could, shoving each other back and forth. They didn't notice their third was distracted. Crap!

He quickly regained his composure and offered a shaky smile. "It was my fault. Forgive me." He turned around and left without another word.

Shoulders slumping, Yaone finally broke free of the people with a sigh of relief. Not good... this was definately not good! Granted, Hakkai would be discrete about their encounter, but after last night's outburst, it wouldn't take him long to piece it together! "What a time to get careless, idiot," she berated herself before making it out the main gate and onto the road. She veered off after a bit of walking, forcing her way through the woods to where Sparky was tied. She would just have to trust that Hakkai wouldn't make a big deal out of it. And hope Sanzo didn't get angry enough to kill the man... or her!

It wasn't until she was airborn on Sparky that she realized she had just kissed Sanzo. Not on the cheek, but full out on the lips. She could just imagine how uncomfortable that must have been for him. How completely careless of her indeed! "Damn it!" Today wasn't going to be a good day at all.

>>>>>>>>>>

Doukugakuji sat bolt upright at the soft rustle of wings folding, blinking the sleep from his eyes. Damn... goddamn! He'd fallen asleep in the stables and had almost missed Yaone returning. She was quickly unloading the saddle from Sparky's back, hushing the little dragon as he bleated and nudged her. "Need a hand?" he asked, getting to his feet.

Yaone let out a startled yelp, hand going to her chest and eyes widening. She relaxed when she saw it was him, giving him a stern glare and hitting his arm as he came up. "Do you know how bad you scared me?" she hissed, handing him the bridle to hang on the peg by the stall door.

Grinning, he shrugged. "I have a pretty good idea. You looked ready to faint."

"I almost did! What are you doing out here?"

"Waiting for you to get back," he answered, opening the stall door for her. He locked it once she was out, ignoring Sparky as he head-butted the door, whining for someone to pet him. "You weren't at dinner last night."

Was that blush he saw? Yep... Yaone's whole face and neck were beet red! "I-I wasn't aware it was mandatory now," she answered half-heartedly.

"It's not, but your presence was noted and missed. Kou's not too pleased about it."

That got her to stop walking away and turn back to him, a worried look on her face. "Lord Kougaiji's... angry with me?"

Doukugakuji felt a little bad guilting her like this, but he sort of felt it was fair since he'd had to deal with Kougaiji being antsy all damn night, and again this morning. "He's been worried, that's all. It's not like you to just up and vanish without a word to anyone." His eyes narrowed when he caught the blush deepen to a surprisingly new red hue. "Where did you go, Yaone?"

She wouldn't look at him for a good minute. Doukugakuji folded his arms over his chest, unmoving. Kou wasn't the only one concerned for her. He wasn't backing down until he got some answers. When she finally did meet his gaze, it was with a look he'd never thought to see her give any of them. Yaone's eyes practically crackled with anger. "Where I go is my business. No one questions you when you run off for a few days. Why me? What if I can't stand being stuck in this place all day and night, doing nothing but plotting against the Sanzo party, healing injuries and staying out of the way? In case you failed to notice, Doukugakuji, the only time I ever, EVER leave this place is if we're going after the scripture or I'm tracking down Lirin. Am I no longer allowed to have a life because some... whore... had to go-mmph!"

Doukugakuji quickly covered her mouth to stop the venting. Shit, she was really worked up over this! But here and now weren't appropriate for saying things about Gyokumen Koushu. And the fact that Yaone was being so indiscrete had him shocked almost speechless. He pulled her in and hugged her, hand still clamped over her mouth. "Easy there, Yaone. Goddamn... you must have been holding that in for a while! Why didn't you say something?"

Pulling his hand away, she said bitterly, "And who would I say it to? Here, everything is heard and seen. One word gets whispered so many times to so many different people that it's become nothing but a den of spies. I hate it, Douku! When did this stop being a home and start being a prison?"

He knew exactly what she meant. When they'd first offered their services to Lord Kougaiji, Houtu Castle had still been a majestic place. True, they had been just starting this campaigne, but it the atmosphere was a happy one all the same. It wasn't until those scientists came that things had changed, and practically overnight, too. People he once considered friends he wouldn't trust farther than he could drop kick them. Sighing, he let her go. It had only been a friendly hug, but he could just imagine how a spy would twist it around in the telling. And he didn't feel like having Kougaiji act like a dick to him. Unlike other servants, he wasn't afraid to lay the prince out when needed. "Damn, you smell like sake and cigarettes! Did you go to a bar?"

Yaone's lips twitched a little, fighting the smile. "Maybe. And maybe I walked out with three gorgeous sailors."

Doukugakuji laughed at that, pushing her gently toward the door of the stables. "No doubt you did!"

"Douku?"

"Yeah?"

She was wringing her hands, suddenly very nervous. "Lord Kougaiji... how angry is he?"

He grinned, putting a reassuring arm over her shoulder. "Not so angry that a good, home cooked dinner won't fix it."

"Is that a subtle hint you want me to prepare dinner tonight?" she teased.

"I wasn't exactly aimin' for subtle, but yeah," he replied.

Yaone laughed quietly as they went back into the castle together.

>>>>>>>>>>

Kougaiji stared at the paper print out sheets, eyes moving slowly over the oddly uniform characters. He hated having to read anything printed from those damn computers! He glanced up again at Dr. Nii, waiting and stroking his bunny in the most obscene way. What kind of man carried a stuffed animal around anyway? The human remained where he was, that enigmatic smile still plastered to his face, cigarette hanging from his lips. Did the bastard think he was presenting new information about his servants? He looked again at the print outs on Yaone and Doukugakuji and saw nothing there that he didn't already know. "If you're trying to impress me, you've failed. Both Doukugakuji and Yaone have been very open about their pasts. Now leave, you're wasting my time!"

"Now, don't be hasty," Dr. Nii purred, pulling roughly on his rabbit's ears. "It's admirable of them to be so... open. But you have to wonder what good that honesty is. It certainly hasn't gotten you the scripture yet, has it?"

"Get to the point, Nii," he growled. He had better things to do than listen to this man babble on without making any sense.

"The point of this is, I collected all this data on the two in the space of a few minutes. Technology is my power. And I offer it to you, Prince Kougaiji. What have they ever offered to you?"

Kougaiji froze, everything going still. What... was he saying? "Leave me alone. I don't need, or want, your help."

Dr. Nii sighed, flicking something into the air and catching it again. "Such a shame. Oh, well, if you insist. I had hoped to give you a present, but if you don't want it..." He began to walk away.

"What are you playing at, Nii? Why help me?" Kougaiji asked, turning to face the scientist's back. He was curious... and hated to admit that perhaps the man had a point. Maybe they needed to change their tactics a bit. They've been doing the same attacks, the same moves for a little over a year now... and the Sanzo party was _still_ defeating them.

"Why help you now? Why not? You're the only youkai to survive a fight with the Sanzo party. And with this little creation of mine, I'm certain victory will be yours." The scientist sighed again, looking at the device in his hand. "Of course, the weaker youkai I tested this on met with... bad side effects."

"What side effects?" He was hooked now, he knew it. If Nii had something to help him get that scripture... as much as he hated putting himself in the snake's coils, he would do whatever it took to free his mother!

Dr. Nii's smile grew slowly wider as he handed over the bracelet to Kougaiji. "Nothing a youkai of your strength needs to worry about." He turned around and shuffled off again, making the bunny in his arms wave at Kougaiji over his shoulder.

Kougaiji stared at the simple silver bracelet, flipping it over to see the underside covered in wires and little metal hook pieces that he knew without testing it would latch onto his skin. This... was supposed to help him defeat the Sanzo party? He doubted it! He should just throw the thing away and be done with it! He didn't, though. Ignoring the little part of his brain screaming at him to lose the piece, he tucked it inside his white robe and stalked off to find his servants. As he walked, Nii's words echoed in his head.

_But you have to wonder what good honesty is. It certainly hasn't gotten you the scripture yet, has it?_

"For you, mother," he said through tightly clenched teeth. "For you, I'll do anything!" _Even risk death by accepting this fool's help!_ He would do this alone, without anyone else's help. If it went wrong, he didn't want them there to bring him back. Do or die, those were the only two options this time.

>>>>>>>>>>

"The spread looks great, Yaone," Doukugakuji offered, sitting across from Lirin, who was already shoveling food into her face.

Yaone beamed, settling between the two and across from Kougaiji, who was staring at his plate and not speaking. "My lord? Have you tried the lamb yet? I know it's your favorite and-,"

Everyone gaped as Kougaiji's palms slammed on the dinner table angrily, rattling it so hard that cups tipped over and plates jumped. Yaone and Doukugakuji exchanged worried glances, unsure what had triggered the sudden bad mood in their lord. Lirin's jaw dropped, spilling half chewed vegetables from her mouth. " 'Ig 'udder?" she asked around what was left.

Indigo eyes snapped with fire as he stood abruptly and left, running from the room without a word.

"My lord!"

"Hey, Kou! KOUGAIJI!" Doukugakuji took off after him as Yaone and Lirin watched in mute horror. He caught up with Kougaiji, grabbing his arm and spinning him around. "Kou, what's gotten into you?"

Kougaiji jerked his arm free and snarled, "Leave me ALONE!" before he continued his mad dash from the castle.

Yaone ran up behind Doukugakuji, her eyes wide with alarm. "Doukugakuji..."

Frowning, confused, Doukugakuji looked down... and frowned even harder when he saw a paper on the ground. he picked it up, eyes scanning the print out and growing darker and darker as he read. Yaone's startled gasp let him know she'd just read it, too. Nii... that bastard! That stinking, no good, lousy BASTARD!

"Yaone, stay with Lirin. I'm goin' after Kou. Don't let anything happen to her, got it? Somethin' tells me things are about to get really messy."

"Yes, of course. Please, be careful, Doukugakuji!" she called after him as he tried to catch up with their lord.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone sighed and stayed where she stood until Doukugakuji was out of sight. What had Dr. Nii said to Kougaiji? Nothing on that paper was news to him. But it being on his person was evidence that the scientist had said something to him.

**CRASH!**

"GAH! Hey... lemme go!"

She spun around at the sound, saw guards wrestling Lirin to the ground. What...? "LIRIN!" Yaone ran back to the room, her spear appearing out of thin air. She couldn't use explosives in the castle, not without bringing it down. The first guard to rush her fell with a scream as his stomach was torn open. She ducked the sword swinging for her, dropping to spin her leg out and trip the attacker to the ground, spear thrusting forward into another guard. The guards were attacking? That was Lady Koushu's DAUGHTER! They wouldn't dare, not without...

Not without permission.

The idea that Gyokumen Koushu had ordered the attack stopped her dead in her tracks. It was obvious that the woman cared nothing for her child... but she'd always been very strict that Lirin was to be kept safe. So why send the guards for her? Yaone caught movement out of the corner of her eyes and brought her knee into a soft groin, causing the man to collapse. "Lirin!"

Lirin was kicking, hitting, even biting the guards trying to drag her away. She managed to free one hand as the man behind her yelped, drawing hsi bleeding hand back from her mouth, reaching for Yaone with the most terrified look in her green eyes. "YAONE! HELP ME!"

That look of helpless horror gave her an extra boost of strength as four guards rushed her at once, one landing a sharp kick to her mid back. She turned enough to kick him in the jaw, only to get punched in the stomach hard. Her breath left her all at once, back and stomach sore from the beating. The other two disarmed her, taking her explosives as well. They were smarter than they looked. Yaone pushed up from her hands and knees with an angry growl, fist connecting with a solid jaw and doing little more than to turn the guard's head to one side. Damn... The other three slammed into her all at once, struggling to keep her arms checked.

"Tie the bitch down! Goddamn it, I said tie her up!" Yaone wasn't sure if the captain was talking about her or Lirin, but ropes were produced and being flung at both.

"Let her go!" She screamed it even though she knew they wouldn't. Why would they when they were obviously acting on orders from above? She struggled harder when the coarse feel of ropes touched her wrists, quickly being wound and tied tightly. Her leg swept back, foot catching behind the ankle of the man behind her and she pulled forward, tripping him and riding him to the ground, elbow slamming into his chest. The sudden movement startled him enough to let her go and she used the freedom to roll away, wrists tied behind her back still. Like this, she was limited with what she could do. Her eyes scanned the area and saw her belt lying not even three feet away. All she'd need was one flash bomb and she'd be able to get to Lirin. She made a dive for the belt.

And blacked out when a heavy boot met her face.


	8. Chapter 8

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the LAST chapter I'm taking from the anime. I can't stand the Reload episodes. The only reason I watch it is because I'm completely obsessed... even if they make all my boys look fat. No, seriously, watch it sometime and take a look at Sanzo's shoulders and Gojyo and Hakkai's faces. Looks like they put on about ten pounds! Anyway, expect chapter 9 to follow the manga. If you haven't read through Reload volume 2, I'm sorry I ruined it for you. If you have, bully for you and enjoy!

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo flicked the cigarette away irritably as he waited for the others to stop arguing and get in the Jeep. He could hear Gojyo and Goku shouting through the walls of the restaurant as Hakkai tried to pry them from the table. He'd offered to do it his way, but for some reason the green-eyed youkai hadn't been to keen on that plan.

"THERE'S STILL SOME PANCAKES! LEMME TAKE 'EM WITH US!"

"COME ON! I DIDN'T FINISH MY COFFEE YET!"

Goddamn it... he shook his head, gritting his teeth. The sun was just now beginning to rise behind him, but it was still too early for that light to pull the chill from his body. It was fucking cold out, his coffee was gone and they were already behind schedule! Sighing, he reached into his robe and pulled the gun out. He didn't even look as he fired three rounds right into the door, knowing the wood would be thick enough to take the hit and stop the bullets. He didn't want to kill any bystanders, after all. Or Hakkai. He doubted Hakuryuu would take kindly to his owner coming out riddled with bullets.

"Son of a bitch!" The door was flung open and Gojyo stomped out angrily, daring to come to his side of the car and slam a palm against his seat hard. Sanzo arched a brow, glaring at the offending hand. That damn bastard... he had know idea how close he was to getting knocked the fuck out! "I was comin' out that door when you fired, y'know!"

Sanzo reloaded the gun, letting the smooth metal jackets slide through his fingers easily. He didn't know when exactly the feeling of bullets had become a form of calming meditation, but they did. And it worked a lot better than counting like Hakkai often suggested. "My timing sucks. I shot too early." He quickly hid the little smile as the red-head's rage boiled up and over. So predictable!

"You goddamn prick! You're lucky I don't-." Gojyo stopped, gulping heavily as cold metal was jammed into his skin.

For an added effect, Sanzo pressed the gun a little harder under Gojyo's chin. "You don't, what?"

"Uh... nothin'. Honest!"

He pulled the gun away, clicking the safety back on as he tucked it into his robe again. "Smart answer, dumb ass. Get in back." He really wasn't in the mood to deal with those two morons right now. A bad night spent in the same room with the others was the cause. He was kept up by Gojyo's snoring, which was stopped when Hakkai got up, grumbling, and rolled him over onto his stomach. Then just as he'd been about to fall to sleep, Goku had started talking in his. And such bullshit, too. All about meat buns and sukiyaki. Nothing he didn't hear constantly when the kid was awake. When he got back, he was charging the temple for pain and suffering at his companions' hands.

The Jeep rocked as Goku jumped in back, settling in quickly. "Hey, Sanzo, ya got any meat buns?"

"Not on me," Sanzo answered easily. It wasn't technically a lie. He didn't have them on him. They were sitting in a bag on the floor.

"But I can smell 'em! You've got them, stop lyin'!"

"I'm not lying. And shut your damn hole!" He crossed his arms against his chest, glaring off to the side. Today was going to be bad. Hell, the whole fucking week had been bad! With the exception of New Year's, that is. It had actually been... He scowled when his thoughts turned to that and he quickly shoved them aside again. Damn her... just what the hell had she done to him? It had to be some kind of youkai magic he wasn't sensing. It happened sometimes when the youkai put off friendly vibes to lure people in.

The Jeep lurched forward and Hakkai peeled out of the town at an alarming speed. Sanzo grabbed the OS bar and hoped like hell they didn't flip over. He'd already learned from the past that seatbelts were a necessary evil when driving with Hakkai. The two in back were shouting at the green-eyed youkai to slow down, but he ignored them, laughing. Hmph, and they called _him_ the sadistic one!

Soon enough, the back was quiet as first Goku and then Gojyo fell asleep. It was still too early for those two, thank the gods. Sanzo pulled out his cigarettes, turning against the wind and shielding his lighter with his hand as he lit up. The first pull of nicotine into his lungs was pure bliss. He let it out slowly, relaxing back again into the seat.

"Sanzo?" Hakkai asked hesitantly, glancing away from the road briefly to look at him.

"What?" he asked. Hakkai didn't particularly annoy him, which was why he didn't threaten him for interupting his peaceful time.

"I saw someone yesterday. Someone we both know."

Sanzo carefully kept his features schooled into a bored expression. Shit... As casually as possible, he said, "Oh?"

"Yaone was in the same town as us. Don't you find that a bit odd?"

FUCK! Still maintaining the bored and disinterested demeaner, he took another hit before replying. "Hmph, a bit. Not that it's any of our concern. If she _was _there it wasn't for the sutra, so we don't need to worry about it."

"I suppose you're right," Hakkai answered, still not completely convinced.

"Maybe she was looking for that brat Lirin," he suggested, hoping to persuade the other. Again, technically not a lie... as far as Hakkai was concerned, she could have been. And he DID say 'maybe'.

"Yeah... maybe." The way he said it implied he didn't think that very likely at all, even though nine out of ten times it was true.

Sanzo glanced over at him quickly, watching the quiet man closely. As usual, Hakkai had that perfect mask of amusement in place. There was no telling what was going on in his head. Hakkai was one shrewd sonufabitch. It wouldn't be too difficult for him to figure out, not like the other two at any rate. They couldn't figure their way out of a burlap sack. "Hmph, whatever." Let him go on speculating! Unless he walked in on them, he had no proof. And until now Yaone had been excedingly careful. When he saw her again, he'd let her have it for fucking up. Thinking of her brought back New Year's and it made him angry again. Just who the hell did she think she was, changing the rules like that? The nerve of her! First, there was that shit on the balcony, when she'd hugged him. He blamed her entirely for his body's reaction. From his heart speeding up to him hugging her back, it was all her fault.

_Stop lying to yourself. You know it was just as much your fault as hers. If you didn't want it to happen, you would have stopped her. So quit acting all stupid like Goku!_

He shifted angrily in his seat, wishing suddenly the other two were awake for him to hit at with the fan. He hated admitting stupid shit like that to himself. He _had_ wanted her to, though he didn't realize it until she did. That nagging feeling in his gut, the one that had been bothering him for some time now, eased when her hands circled his waist, clasping behind his back. It wasn't a sexual thing...mostly. It was just... it was... he didn't know what. This was all very new to him. He actually didn't mind her company most of the time, which had surprised him. Originally, he'd thought just one dinner and his curiousity of the healer would be cured. No such luck. She was like a thorn... or a rash. Once she was in, she infected you until you couldn't ignore her or push her away. He shifted again when he thought back to how good she'd felt against him. She'd smelled surprisingly good, too. Clean, like when Hakkai did laundry or something. Not like those youkai sluts they used to send, the ones that wreaked of cheap scented oils or heavy musk. Or even like the human women who seemed to throw themselves across him whenever they came to a town. They usually smelled like sweat and cloying-sweet perfume. A disgusting combination if ever there was one.

Goddamn it! Why the hell did he keep thinking about her? This was such absolute and total bullshit! There was nothing special about her, other than the fact that she was surprisingly smart. And not incredibly annoying or needy. And she seemed to have a sixth sense where it concerned him. She seemed to know exactly when his guard was low enough to sneak in and start carving a place for her in his life. Her and Goku... fuck them. Fuck them both for making him care! There it was again, just like before only worse. He'd already admitted that he cared for Yaone. But that caring had mutated into something else. He didn't know what to call it, and he didn't like it. This new feeling in regards to the healer was dangerous, he could tell. It was bordering very close to what he felt for his master. The last time he cared for anyone this much, he'd lost it in the most horrifying way possible. By not being able to protect it. Now, here he was, making the same mistake twice.

It would have been so much easier if she'd just let things remain as they had been. Why did she have to go and complicate things? Why did he LET her complicate things? He should have ended this sooner. Hell, he could have ended it right at the door...

Except, she'd gone and kissed him. KISSED HIM! The hugging he could have dealt with... but the _kissing_? He didn't kiss women unless he thought he'd get more for his money by doing it. There was never any need to. The only services he required of the opposite sex was for them to blow him, take his money and let him leave feeling better. Simple and eloquent. He got what he needed and there was no risk of some tart walking up to the temple with a bastard child. Damn, damn, DAMN her! She'd done it so quick and automatic, as if they'd done it a thousand times before. He didn't even have time to react before she ran off.

And what the hell was up with that? Kissing him and then sprinting for the door... She hadn't even stopped to see if he LIKED it! Yes, he knew she was in a hurry. He understood that perfectly. But to act as if it were nothing... that pissed him off royally. Not even a blink of the eye, as if kissing the enemy was perfectly natural.

_Not that you really consider her the enemy now. And, be honest, you liked how her mouth felt._

Sanzo sighed, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, taking a hit from the cigarette. The wind whipped his hair back, cooled his face. Yes... to both. He'd acknowledged she wasn't the enemy long ago. He'd only said that for the sake of arguing, and he wasn't about to ask if she maybe felt the same way. Asking shit like that was beneath him. And her mouth... it had been quick, but he wouldn't mind a repeat performance, preferably one a little more lasting than that piss-poor excuse! Perhaps the next time she came to him...

Next time. He was already thinking ahead to her next visit. Would she kiss him then? And what about that? Kissing would lead to other tings. He wasn't stupid. What would happen if things did get a little more intense? His scowl deepened as he shifted again for another reason, trying to find a comfortable position. _No need worrying about that now. Cross that bridge when you come to it_, he reminded himself. He certainly wasn't opposed to having sex with Yaone. She was in no way unattractive. In fact, he would even venture to say she was beautiful, especially for a youkai. Not at all like the previous assassins with the weird tongues and squinty eyes. If her ears weren't shaped differently and her hair wasn't that odd purple shade, she could have very easily passed for human. It wasn't all just physical beauty, either, though there was a healthy dose of that. Yaone had intelligence to match. She was, as Gojyo would put it, the total package. And he liked... it.

_Correction; you like HER._

His eyes snapped open and he picked his head up. What the... damn. Glaring angrily at nothing, he pulled a long drag and held it in until his lungs burned and his head throbbed for the need of oxygen. Then, he silently agreed with that little thought as he let it all out. Yes, he liked her. He liked most everything about her. And the things he didn't like (like how she always seemed to be amused by him) were so minor he could let them slide. Whatever, at least she wasn't rude, nagging or whiny like his traveling companions. That in itself was a major mark in her favor.

Fine, so it was settled. He was a little pleased that she seemed interested in something further. But he'd be damned if he let her take the lead again! After all, this whole arrangement had been his idea to begin with. Yaone may have broken the rules, but he was prepared to throw the damn things out the window. Besides, he wasn't much one for rules anyway. Too restrictiing. Like his goddamn jeans! He made a mental note to look for some a little more... accomodating... in the next town.

Sanzo took a final drag and flicked the cigarette away, now fully resolved with the situation. He was actually anticipating their next meeting. Maybe this time he could illicit a more proper kiss from her. His musings about the subject were broken as Goku stirred and stretched in the back seat, opening his mouth wide to yawn. He choked and gagged as sand went flying into his mouth from a sudden burst of wind.

"Gah! Sand? When the hell did we enter the desert?" he demanded, wiping his tongue off on his shirt.

Hakkai laughed. "Not even twenty minutes ago. You've been asleep so long you didn't even notice."

"It sucks! And it's already hot!"

"Shut up," Sanzo growled. He heard metal on metal and turned in time to see Goku dump a full canteen over his head, dousing his entire upper body. Why, that stupid... He pulled the fan out from where he hid it and layed one as hard as he could over the kid's head. And then again when Goku yelped, dropping the empty canteen on the floor. "You IDIOT! We're in a fucking desert!"

Glaring and rubbing his head Goku said in a sulky voice, "Yeah, so? Water's good for coolin' you off!"

Unable to deal with the brat, Sanzo smacked him again and turned around in his seat, teeth clenched tight and grinding. Sometimes he wondered just what the fuck kind of drugs he'd been on to free Goku in the first place.

"What Sanzo is trying, and failing, to say is that we only have so much water to last through today and possibly some of tonight," Hakkai explained patiently, casting a cool glare in Sanzo's direction. He ignored it as he always did. What did he care if Hakkai was pissed? He had every right to beat the kid for not thinking. It wasn't like his head was good for anything but target practice anyway!

"Er... okay..." Goku still very clearly didn't get it.

"Meaning, dumb ass, you shouldn't go wasting it by taking a bath. Even IF you smell worse than moldy ass," Gojyo added, having woken up at the howls of pain. "I say the chimp doesn't get any water until we reach the next town. That'll teach him for wasting it!"

"Hey, no fair! What if I die?" Goku wailed.

"More room for me in back. So, you see, it's a win-win situation we're in!"

For once, Sanzo agreed with Gojyo's logic. He kept his mouth shut, unwilling to let the kappa know.

"Don't worry, Goku. We won't do that to you," Hakkai said soothingly, glancing back in the rearview mirror at the kid.

Goku smiled and stared off at the scenery, humming some stupid song he'd made up years ago about bringing home a baby bumblebee. Sanzo's teeth ground together harder than ever, but he remained silent still. It brought back memories of Goku's first run in with bees and how afterward he'd made the song up for the occassion. He'd been so damn proud of himself that Sanzo didn't have the heart to tell him it sucked. And now... it was too late to do anything but the usual when Goku got too annoying.

**_WHACK!_**

"Ow... damn it, Sanzo! What was THAT for?"

"For being you," Sanzo retorted quickly before crossing his arms over his chest again. Silence fell in the back seat again. For about five minutes.

Gojyo groaned very loudly (and very dramatically). "Man, Hakkai, can't you go any faster? I'm dyin' over here!"

"We're going as fast as we can over the sand," Hakkai replied with just an edge of annoyance creeping into his otherwise placid tone.

Sanzo glanced over at him from partially closed lids and wondered just how much more of this Hakkai could take before he snapped. It was always the polite ones who exploded the worst. In a way, he almost wished he could see it... and in another, he truly hoped he wasn't around to get caught in the blood spray!

Gojyo growled wordlessly and opened the other canteen. It was quiet for a long time as the kappa chugged back water without showing any signs of stopping.

"Hey! Lemme have some!" Goku made a grap for the canteen. Gojyo pulled it back hard. There was the sound of a scuffle and then...

"You already- oh... fuck..."

Picking his head up off his chest, Sanzo and Hakkai shared a look. "Hakkai..."

"Gojyo?" Hakkai asked slowly. Sanzo's hand was slipping into his robe for the gun. For sure now, he was going to kill the kappa. If they spilled that canteen...

"Uh, yeah?" Gojyo drawled slowly.

"The water... what happened to it?"

Goku yelped and began burying himself under their groceries. Sanzo could hear Gojyo's gulp over the wind passing by them. "It... sorta... kinda... fell out of the Jeep."

Without a word, Sanzo pulled the fan instead and began beating Gojyo with it. Better to kill him with brute force. It was more painful and would take longer! "JUST WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FUCKING DESERT AND YOU WASTED ALL THE WATER?"

"Ow! Hey, quit it you goddamn monk! It was all HIS fault!"

Goku popped his head up to retaliate and got a blow across the forehead instead. "Ow! Hey... it wasn't me, it was HIM!"

Sanzo slumped back in his seat, slouching down as far as he could and covered his eyes with one hand. Son of a bitch... How did he get stuck with such idiots? "I'm warning you now, if you make any noise, make it count because it'll be your last. Don't even BREATH in my direction until after we get settled at an inn."

Both were mercifully (and very wisely) silent. Sanzo sat back up, his head throbbing madly. Gods... this fucking mingraine was getting worse the closer they got to India! And Idiot One and Idiot Two in back weren't helping it at all.

"Sanzo?" Hakkai asked softly. Hakkai was the only one who knew about the headaches. When they were particularly sharp and not even medicine helped, Hakkai would use a little chi to relieve the pressure.

"I'm fine," he said. He was, too. Except for the pounding behind his eyes and temples.

"If you say so." The healer wasn't convinced, but he knew better than to argue the point.

Sighing, Sanzo leaned his head back over the seat, closing his eyes. The sun was nearing the noon position and it was incredibly hot, the leather under his robe sticking to his skin and making the sweat under it run down his chest. Once again he wished he didn't need the added protection the leather offered. It was a helluva lot thicker than silk and did more against claws than going without. He shifted, trying to peel the leather away a fraction and encourage air flow. When that proved useless, he did the next best thing; he tried to catch up on the sleep he missed. He forced himself to relax, crossing his arms over his chest, and was almost asleep when...

"It's so hot."

Not again! Cracking one eye open, his fist balled up angrily. If they started this again...

"Then stop adding to it by running your mouth!"

Why couldn't they just shut the fuck up for once? All he wanted to do was get to the next town, get his own room and spend a quiet evening alone with Yaone if she came. Was that really so much to ask?

There was a puttering and thenthe Jeep came to a halt. Sanzo's eyes snapped open angrily. "Why'd we stop?" he demanded.

Hakkai was already getting out of the Jeep, pulling bags out. "The heat's gotten to Hakuryuu. We'll have to walk for a bit."

"Unacceptable."

"Sorry, but we don't have a choice. We can either walk or risk Hakuryuu becoming too burned out to continue at all." The Jeep made a loud cooing sound fo protest, shaking a little. It was always so damn creepy when it did that.

Sanzo got out of the Jeep, scowling. Goddamn it... as if things weren't bad enough! Once everyone was out and Hakuryuu was in dragon form, they began trudging up hill, entering the tightly packed sand mountains surrounding the area. Gojyo and Goku were still complaining about being too hot, now taking it so far as to see who was sweating more than the other. Hakkai walked in silence, keeping his head down at the sudden wind kicks that surfaced, shielding Hakuryuu's eyes with a free hand. Sanzo's body was pouring more sweat with each passing step, the leather now pulling at his skin hard, chafing. The silk robe was drenched and hanging heavily on his shoulders. He'd send Goku to get it cleaned at the next town. Once again, he toyed with the idea of shooting the two bastards that lost all their water. The only thing that could make this worse...

He froze as a familiar tingle moved down his spine, causing the hair on his neck to stand up. Youkai... Eyes narrowed, he scanned the oddly placed mudhole at the top of the hill. Such a stupid disguise, really. A wet mudhole in the middle of a scorching desert? Only an idiot would fall for that!"

"Hey, mud! Where there's mud, there's water," Goku exhaulted, dropping the bags he was carrying and making a run for it.

Gojyo clamped a firm hand on the kid's shoulder, crimson eyes narrowed. "Yeah, something tells me this isn't normal mud."

Sanzo pulled his gun and aimed it as a shrill laugh came from the mudhole. The contents swirled and formed into the loose shape of a being. "At last, the Sanzo party! Now you're mine!" Shots rang out as Sanzo fired into the shape. The youkai's mud form broke apart around each bullet and became solid again right away. Fuck... "You think your puny gun can hurt me? AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"SANZO!"

The shout came too late. A cloud of gas rose from the mud, enveloping around Sanzo before he had time to move away. The acrid scent filled his nose and he recognized it as a poison immediately. "Stay back!" he warned, trying to cover his nose and mouth with his sleeve. His eyes grew heavy and he fell to his knees, his entire body going numb. Motherfucking son of a... He never got to finish that particular string of curses as he fell forward, heart slowing down.

>>>>>>>>>>

"What is the meaning of this?" Yaone demanded angrily, struggling against the ropes. She was thrown down roughly into the janitor's closet, brooms and mops knocking over and landing on her as they fell.

Dr. Nii grinned as he crouched in front of her, cigarette burning almost untouched between his lips. "Why, isn't that the question of the year?" he taunted, glasses flashing. "What is the meaning of anything? You're such a smart little girl!"

She shrugged away from the condescending pat on her head. "Why are you keeping me here?" she tried, wriggling further from his reach.

"Gyokumen Koushu's orders," the human continued in a lazy drawl. "She doesn't want you interfering with our plans for the little princess."

"What... what have you done with Lirin?" Oh, God! Lirin... her breath caught in her throat at the thought of what they'd be doing to the girl. She'd heard from the princess about the tests they'd done, all the blood samples they'd taken. Whatever they had planned didn't bode well for her charge.

"Has anyone ever told you... you have such pretty legs?" To prove his point, one hand firmly grasped her thigh, moving upward.

Growling, face flushed with anger and embarassment, Yaone turned into that hand as it came to her hip, bring the bone down hard against his hand and the floor. He'd have bruises for sure from that!

"Mmm... next time, do try and make it harder, okay?" She gasped when he slapped her cheek just enough to make it sting and got up, leaving the room. "Enjoy yourself." The door shut and locked from the outside, leaving her in total darkness and confusion.

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai screamed in pain and fell, clutching his side. He kept himself from falling completely by planting his hand in the shifting sand, peering at Kougaiji through his dark hair. Such... power! Where did he get it from? This wasn't the Kougaiji they knew. The Kougaiji they knew wasn't capable of such speed and ruthless strength! Not even Goku could withstand him. And speaking of Goku... "Goku? Answer me!"

Goku's body twitched in response to his name. Slowly, he pushed up, hands gripping his nyoi-bo fiercely. Sanzo was lying against the hill side, paler than pale and completely unmoving. His veins almost glowed through the skin. And despite how incredibly hot it was, he wasn't sweating anymore. Not good... they needed to get him help quickly.

"All you have to do to save Sanzo is hand over the scripture. Is it really worth it to have him die?" Kougaiji called to Goku, leisurely pacing back and forth in front of the boy. Hakkai's eyes dropped to the glint of silver on his wrist. Since when did Kougaiji where a bracelet? His mind flashed to another little accessory the youkai prince had tried a while ago. A blue pendant that had tied him to one of the fiends he'd summoned. And nearly killed him. Would he really try that same trick twice? Deciding to test that theory, Hakkai called, "Goku, the bracelet!"

Unlike other occassions where the boy seemed almost ignorant, when it came to defending Sanzo, Goku didn't miss a thing. Golden eyes growing darker, he nodded in understanding, twirling his staff over his hand expertly. "Come on, let's get this over with," he growled, still standing between his guardian and his foe.

Hakkai saw Gojyo struggle to his feet, using his shaku-jo as a make shift crutch. 'G-Goddamn... bastard," he slurred. "What... the hell... is your... problem?" The chain was released in a sudden arc, aiming directly for Kougaiji.

Kougaiji smiled grimly and stayed put. The crescent blade was suddenly stopped mid air by the prince catching the blade neatly. "Watch where you aim that thing," he said coldly before yanking the chain hard.

Gojyo was pulled forward, eyes wide when Kougaiji's fist slammed into him, sending him sprawling onto his stomach with a cry of pain.

Hakkai used the shift of attention to send a chi blast at Kougaiji's back. He screamed again when the blast was deflected back onto him. He barely had time to raise a shield against his own power as it bowled him head over heels across the sand. His neck... no, his entire body ached from the tumble. Shit, when had Kougaiji EVER been able to manipulate chi back onto the caller?

"You're lucky I don't kill you outright for touching her," Kougaiji snarled in his direction.

Huh? What (more importantly, who) was he talking about? Hakkai struggled to push himself up, but the lost. He fell back into the sand again with a thud, gasping as the air left his lungs in a rush. Could it be that they'd actually LOST this round?

There was the sound of metal hitting metal. Goku's wordless cry of fury echoed through the empty desert. Looking up, he saw that Goku had just slammed the nyoi-bo across Kougaiji's raised wrist, snapping the bracelet in two. Kougaiji had been reaching for Sanzo when the boy found new strength and dove across his path. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!"

A moment passed in which nothing happened. Goku, bleeding and bruised, fell to one knee in front of Sanzo still ready to fight if necessary. Kougaiji's shoulders curled forward and his breathing became more shallow. It was so still and silent Hakkai could hear his heart trying to break through his ribs. The suspence of feeling something bad was about to happen hung heavily in the air.

Kougaiji screamed. His claws pulled at his hair, pressing against the sides of his head like he was trying to keep everything in. His back arched so far that he was almost doubled over backward. And he kept screaming. Hakkai stumbled to his feet, eyes wide. He hadn't suffered any external injuries... it had to be from that bracelet coming off him! With the bracelet no longer supplying him with added power, his body and mind were going into shock.

"KOU!"

All three were on their feet again as that new voice shouted from further up the hill. Doukugakuji! Gojyo sneered, hefting his shaku-jo in anticipation of his brother's arrival. But the swordsman wasn't interested in any of them. Doukugakuji sprinted through the sand as if it were nothing and down to Kougaiji's side. Kougaiji had finally stopped screaming but he wasn't moving now. All the injuries that SHOULD have happened during the fight were now very evident on his body. The broken arms from Goku's staff connecting with him. The deep slashes from Gojyo's crescent blade. Burns bad enough to peel the skin away from Hakkai. Kougaiji was a mess. Hakkai knew there was no way the prince would survive those injuries without some serious medical attention.

"Shit, Kou! Just what the hell did you guys do to him?" Doukugakuji shouted, glaring in their direction, fists clenched on Kougaiji's torn chest..

"We didn't do a goddamn thing," Gojyo explained almost gently. He let his weapon trail to the ground as he limped over, pulling out his cigarettes. "He did this do himself."

Hakkai handed the pieces of the bracelet to Doukugakuji. "This seems to have been the problem."

Doukugakuji looked at the fragments and his eyes darkened with a barely contained rage. Even Goku sensed it and moved a little farther back in case of an attack. It never happened. Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Doukugakuji stood up, hefting the prince easily into his arms. "We withdraw for today. I'm sorry this happened." He turned and began to walk away.

"Hey... wait a sec! Where's Yaone?" Goku demanded suddenly.

"Yaone has other duties today. Why?" The swordsman turned around again, curious in spite of his obvious haste.

Goku's gaze slid over to where Sanzo was still unmoving. "Sanzo's been poisoned. I was kinda hopin' she might..."

Reaching into a pocket, Doukugakuji pulled something out and threw it across to them. Hakkai caught the vial, looking at the transparent amber liquid. "And this is?"

"It's an antidote. It cures pretty much any poison caused by a youkai. Yaone keeps us stocked with it, just in case we receive friendly fire. Don't use the whole thing on him though. Much too strong for a human. I'd say maybe just about a third of it will do." He continued plowing his way back up hill, moving as easily as when he had sprinted down to them.

"Damn... hope he's okay," Gojyo muttered around his cigarette. He turned to the others as Goku began shouting at Hakkai and tugging his sleeve.

"Come on, come on! We've gotta give it to Sanzo right now," the boy was saying urgently.

"Goku... I'm coming as fast as I can." Hakkai clamped his teeth down hard and forced his body to move forward. Blood was starting to seep through his torn tunic from where Kougaiji's claws had raked him on the opposite side of his scar. And his knee was having issues, too. He finally made it over to Sanzo's side, kneeling down in the sand. "Tip his head back, Goku."

Goku was quick to do as he was told. He very gently managed to get Sanzo's head back enough to part those thin lips. "Like this?"

"That'll do." He pulled the cap off the vial and poured a rough estimate into Sanzo's mouth before putting his hand under the monk's chin to shut it. He waited, counting to thirty slowly before he took his hand away. All the liquid was gone. Now, they just had to wait. Already, though, Sanzo's breathing was getting deeper and more regular. He was still far to pale but at least the blue from his veins was beginning to recede. Thank God... "I think he'll be okay. Hakuryuu, are you able to change now?"

Hakuryuu cooed happily and transformed into his Jeep form again, reving the engine. Hakkai took the driver's seat, Gojyo sitting up front with him for a change. Goku lifted Sanzo into the back, settling the monk's head on his lap and pushing his hair away from his eyes. "Can we hurry, Hakkai?"

Giving the boy an understanding smile, Hakkai shifted the Jeep into gear and they were soon flying over the desert sands. Goku continued to pet Sanzo's hair, still worried that his guardian was going to die. _Please... I don't wanna be alone again..._

_>>>>>>>>>> _

Yaone struggled into a kneeling position as the closet door was opened. She blinked at the bright light coming from the hallway until a shadowy figure stepped in to block it. "Have a nice break?" a rich voice asked. While the words were harmless and the voice pleasant on the ears, the person controling them was putting off very dangerous vibes. Yaone shrank away as the youkai knealt beside her, cutting through the ropes with his claws. She shivered having him so close. The man positively made her cold with fear. Her skin began to prickle and she could have sworn her breath fogged. There was something just not right about this youkai... and all he'd said was 'Have a nice break'!

"Who are you?" she demanded, pushing away from him as soon as the ropes were gone, rubbing her wrists where they were red and bleeding a little. She'd tried to squeeze out of the restraints for the first hour or so and had given up when she finally realized they weren't budging.

"The name's Zakuro. You would do well to remember it," he answered, grinning at her. His eyes dropped lower and the smile grew wider. "The prince certainly does have fine tastes."

"Thank you for untying me. Excuse me, I have something to do." She pushed passed him, determined to ignore him and find Lirin.

"The little princess won't be needing a nurse anymore."

His words and the delight behind them made her stop, turning around. "What?" No... Gyokumen Koushu wouldn't...

Zakuro grinned again, turning around slowly. "My mistress said to pass that message along to you. And also that the blood traitor is back... with the prince. Apparently, he didn't look too good."

Yaone gasped and ran from the room. Lord Kougaji...! She knew there was only one place Doukugakuji would take him, and that was her room. The halls were eeriely vacant and silent as she ran, the sounds of her rapid footsteps echoing sharply. Where was everyone? Usually the soldiers were all milling around this part of the castle, close to Kougaiji's quarters. She got her answer as she passed a window, the bright dawn light blinding her for a moment. Sunrise? She'd been locked in that closet for almost eight hours! The soldiers were outside drilling, that was why the halls were empty.

She finally made it to her room, yanking the door open and letting it swing against the wall, "Douku! I heard what..." Her words trailed off as she stopped in the middle of the simple room, looking around. They weren't here. Then where...

She ran from her room, the stitch in her side aching, but she didn't slow down, not until she came to Doukugakuji's room. Bending forward a little, sucking greedy breaths of air into her lungs, Yaone banged on the door, praying to whichever god or goddess that would listen to her that they were here. Why would Doukugakuji take Kougaiji here instead of her room? Maybe they'd tried there first and saw she wasn't in... or maybe it was safer for some reason...

The door opened and the first thing to assault her senses was the smell of beer. She looked up in alarm at that. Doukugakuji... drunk? His hair was a mess, his clothing rumpled as if he'd slept in it and his eyes suspiciously red. Like he'd been crying. "Douku..."

The swordsman didn't say a word, just wrapped her in a back jarring hug. Hot splashes hit her shoulder and she slowly managed to get her arms around his waist, baffled by this utterly foreign man in her arms. What had happened? What could have done this to him?

"Thank the gods you're alright," Doukugakuji's voiced mumbled in her ear. "Everything's such a fucking mess... at least you and Lirin are okay!"

Yaone stiffened at that and shrugged the drunken man's arms off her. Her own tears burned her cheeks and she couldn't meet his gaze, humiliated by her recent failure. "Lirin's... not safe. The guards were ordered by _her_ to take her away. Douku, I failed! I failed to keep her safe. Lord Kougaiji..." This time when he hugged her it was to offer her comfort.

"Get in here. We can't talk in the halls."

Once the door was shut, Doukugakuji snapped the tab on another beer. He knew better than to offer her the stuff, as did Sanzo. She hugged herself, trying to banish thoughts of him at a time like this. Yes, she would give anything just to have his cool presence there to calm her. But that wasn't possible so she shouldn't think about it. Doukugakuji was talking, saying something about a fight in the desert.

"And then the kid says that Sanzo's been poisoned and they need help. Gods, Yaone, I know they're the enemy, but I gave him a cure. I mean, Kou's bleeding to death in my arms and-,"

"Is he alright?" she cut in before she could stop herself. God... Sanzo! Her heart was barely beating and she was almost light headed with fear that maybe this time he hadn't been strong enough.

"That's what I'm tryin' to tell you," Doukugakuji bit out sharply. "Kougaiji was dying... and I let him go."

Wait... Blinking, she shook her head, confused. She got lucky in the fact that he thought she was asking about Kougaiji (which she SHOULD have), but she missed something vitallu important. "You let who go?"

Doukugakuji grabbed her shoulders and shook her hard, eyes gleaming angrily. "Haven't you been listening?" he shouted. "That goddamn quack has Kou! I handed him over like a lamb to the slaughter! SON OF A BITCH!" Yaone gasped when he shoved her away roughly, slamming his fists into the walls over and over. Plaster chipped and broke, two holes forming as he continued to beat his frustrations out.

She let him carry on, too stunned by the outburst to react. It wasn't until she saw the crimson stains on the white paint that she moved into action, throwing her arms around waist and pulling back just enough to get his attention. "Douku, stop! You're hurting yourself." His massive weight pulled her down with him as he fell to his knees.

"Gods... why did I let him go? I should have just held on to him. Why did I let him go?"

She knelt behind him, still holding him, running fingers through his short hair soothingly. "You didn't have a choice. If you didn't, Lord Kougaiji _would_ be dead. You did what you had to do."

Doukugakuji shook his head slightly, closing his eyes. She didn't need to see him to know the tears were falling again. She knew that he thought of Kougaiji as a replacement brother for the one he'd lost. It must have killed him to lose that again. "I should have held onto him. I should have waited for you."

Yaone laughed bitterly, resting her chin on his shoulder. "No, you did right. Something tells me they wouldn't have let me go until you gave him up." For some reason, Gyokumen Koushu wanted both of Gyumaoh's children. Both Kougaiji and Lirin were important to the project. If they could only find out why...

"I hate losing," he muttered.

She drew back from him, yanking just hard enough on his hair to get him to look back at her. "We haven't lost yet. So long as the two of them are still alive, we haven't lost. We have a choice to make; we can either sit here and do nothing, or try and save them. Which one shall we choose?"

Doukugakuji was silent for a long time, pondering her words. There was a moment where she thought he'd choose the first, but then a slow and decidedly wicked smile crossed his lips. "So, you have a plan yet?"

Yaone smiled in relief, letting go of him completely. "As a matter of fact, I do."

>>>>>>>>>>

END NOTE: Yeah, the dialog wasn't exact from the anime. Sorry, but I'm very tired and didn't feel like watching that episode for the millionth time. Not to mention, I think I'm getting sick again. ARGH! rips nose off THERE! that solves the cold issue!


	9. Chapter 9 MATURE

AUTHOR'S QUICK WARNING: In case you missed the description for this chapter, this is rated MA! As in, MATURE! As in, there is adult-ish themes. So, if you don't like it... email me and I'll fill you in about this chapter. Oh, and sorry in advance.

>>>>>>>>>>

"Hey, he's wakin' up! Hakkai, Gojyo, look!"

Sanzo groaned, opening his eyes and cursing himself for waking up to that annoying voice. The rocking motion told him they were still driving. And that meant the weird pillow under his head wasn't really a pillow, but someone's thigh. Fucking hell... his throat still felt tight, his entire body sluggish. What the hell happened... oh, that dumb sonufabitch poisoned him. Gods, why was he always the one getting dosed up? He managed to pry his eyes open fully, squinting in the hot sun beating down from above.

The sun was blocked by a shadowy shape with wide golden eyes. "Sanzo?" Goku leaned down closer, nose almost touching his.

"Get... the fuck out of... my face," he managed to get out, his voice barely working.

Hakkai's pleasant laugh floated back from the front seat. "He can't be too bad if he's cursing already."

Sanzo managed a frown when he realized he was staring at the back of Hakkai's head. He was in the back seat? Since when did he sit in the back? His eyes flickered over to the wash of crimson hair blowing back in the breeze. "Pull over. Now." No way was he getting stuck back here!

"Why? Is something wrong?" Hakkai asked worriedly, green eyes meeting his through the mirror. Shit, he thought it was a medical emergency...

Gojyo made a scoffing sound, turning to look over his shoulder and toss back a smirk. "Naw, our dear, sweet little Sanzo's just pissed cuz he's stuck in back with the monkey. Keep drivin', Hakkai."

"Pull over or die."

"Hey, lay off Sanzo, Gojyo," Goku piped up, thigh muscles tensing under Sanzo's head. He desperately wanted to get up... but his goddamn body was still fighting off that poison and wasn't obeying the signals his brain was sending to get up. His fingers twitched a little. That was good. That was enough to pull a trigger. Now if only he could reach for the gun...

"Why don't you find a better use for that mouth? Like keeping it shut!"

"Shut up," Sanzo said through gritted teeth. He winced as Goku unceremoniously dumped him to the floor of the Jeep, fists clenched in anger as he stood facing Gojyo. His head smacked the side and there was a moment where little black dots danced in his vision. Goddamn monkey!

"Oh, yeah? How 'bout you shut up?" Goku replied, voice rising an octave. He was glaring at the red head like he could will him dead with that look.

"Shut up!" Sanzo fumbled for his gun, trying to pull it out. Damn, he hated being like this! He felt so... vulnerable.

"Hey, guys, maybe we should-," Hakkai tried. It wasn't going to do any good. The lover's quarrel had already broken out. There were only two ways to stop it; one required more effort than Sanzo could muster. The other was easier and MUCH more prefered in his book.

"What the hell kinda response is THAT?" Gojyo shouted, ignoring Hakkai and Sanzo completely, sitting up in his own seat and grabbing Goku by the shirt collar. "Speak smart or don't say shit, stupid monkey!"

"Lemme go!" Goku shoved Gojyo back roughly, his feet barely missing Sanzo, who was trying to get himself off the floor. The weight of the gun thumping against him was beginning to piss him off. It was like the damn thing was taunting him! One of Goku's feet finally connected with his side, illiciting a grunt from him. Motherfuckers... Sanzo finally made it to a sitting position, sweat beading his brow. He had to pause and catch his breath before trying for the gun again. This time... definately this time for sure he would kill them both!

"Quit shoving, primate!" Gojyo shoved back hard, causing Goku to fall back onto their supplies. Sanzo finally got the gun out. If his cigarettes were crushed, they'd have a lot more than hell to pay!

"You quit shoving, cockroach!" Goku kicked back.

"You got half of it right! I've got me the biggest-"

**BANG!**

Both screamed at impossibly high octaves, clinging to each other as Sanzo finally pulled himself up onto the spare tire. "I said... SHUT UP!"

"HELP!"

Hakkai ignored the plea, still smiling and shaking his head. He continued to drive, so used to the fighting and shooting by now he would only bother to pay attention if someone stopped moving.

Sanzo slumped back in his spot, having used what little strength he'd recovered to obtain some peace and quiet. He glanced up when a warm hand touched his forehead.

"You're awful cold. Hey, Hakkai, I think he's sick!" Goku looked worried as he peered at Sanzo closely.

He swatted the hand away irritably. "I'm not sick, dumb ass," he sneered. "I'm still fighting the poison. What the hell happened anyway?"

"That dumb bastard got what he deserved," Gojyo filled in, surprisingly helpful for a change.

"And what about Kougaiji, or did I just imagine he was there?"

The heavy silence that fell meant the prince was killed... or they'd run away from a fight. He knew the sutra was still on his shoulders, which meant that if they'd run, they hadn't lost. He tried to find his cigarettes, feeling around his robe for them. Where the fuck did they go?

A pack was held out to him. Gojyo shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a goddamn gentleman."

"A pain in the ass would have been closer," he muttered, taking the offered smoke and the lighter flicked open for him. It wasn't often Gojyo was feeling generous with his cigarettes. It must have been a lot worse than losing. "So, spill."

"Kougaiji was in bad shape when we left," Hakkai explained into the silence that followed. "Doukugakuji came and collected him. He also gave us the antidote for the poison."

"That's it?"

"That's all we know really."

"Hmph." So, Kougaiji got away. No matter. Eventually, they would all meet up again. So long as he carried the sutra, Kougaiji's group would come looking for them. And he wasn't about to give it up any time soon.

_Of course, this means you might have to face Yaone in a fight._

The thought did bother him a little. He truly wasn't sure anymore WHAT to do about that little fact. Usually, Hakkai faced her in battle. And he knew for a fact the two always went a little easy on each other, which was why until not too long ago he'd thought she had a thing for the green-eyed youkai. Hmph, shows how much he understood about women. He flicked ash over the side, staring at the sand dunes that were quickly growing smaller and smaller, with little patches of green surfacing every once in a while. For the first time in his life, he wondered if he actually could pull the trigger if it came down to it.

_And what if it DID come down to just you and her? Do you honestly think she'd choose that road?_

This was getting too complicated for his tastes. Yaone's loyalties were with Kougaiji. And Kougaiji's orders were to get the Maten Sutra. If it ever did result in them fighting, she'd have no choice but to try her best. She'd demonstrated in the past how very obediant she was to the prince's orders, following them to the point of being a perfectionist. If necessary, Yaone would kill him to get what was needed.

_Don't be an idiot. Yaone doesn't think like you, not when it comes to battle tactics._

True... but she wasn't stupid either. She could very well drug him and take the sutra without even killing him.

_And what about you? Could you kill her if necessary?_

Sanzo closed his eyes, letting the cigarette burn idly. The million dollar question... surprisingly, the answer came easily. If he had the gun to her head, and it was him or her... yes, he could. He would probably kill a piece of himself doing it, but he could. He had his mission, his own loyalties. And not her or even Goku would get in his way.

He flicked the butt over the side, watching as the wind whipped it away. Gods... he really was as cold as Goku said he was.

"We're entering the town in a couple minutes," Hakkai annouced.

Everyone turned their attention to the rapidly approaching buildings.

"You might wanna slow down this time, Hakkai," Gojyo drawled, double checking the seat belt and clinging to the OS bar.

Two more reasons why Sanzo prefered the front, besides the space between him and the Annoying Ones; the seat belt and the OS bar. He settled himself as securely as he could in the back. He was not at all comfortable with this change in positions, and Hakkai's damned laughter wasn't making him feel any safer, either!

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone peered around the corner, Doukugakuji just above her. Quickly scanning the guards down the hall, she counted at least thirty. "Douku?"

"I can take twenty, easy," the big man muttered, sword in hand. "Can you handle ten?"

She nodded, pulse jumping against her skin. This was it. Her 'brilliant' plan. Storm the lab, retrieve their lord and run like hell. Doukugakuji had laughed at her, saying that sounded more like something he'd come up with. Well, she couldn't be expected to come up with elaborate plans all the time, especially when their time was limited to begin with! Who knew what those scientists were doing to Kougaiji?

"Okay, genius, let's do this!"

Both whipped around the corner, Doukugakuji taking the point position and aiming for legs and arms. Nothing fatal, they didn't want to kill their comrades. Just... make them go away for a couple hours. Yaone stayed low, using her spear for quick little jabs and for blocking swords than to do actual damage.

"HALT! STOP! You're not authorized-,"

They ignored the shouted orders, Doukugakuji overpowering a smaller youkai with a sharp drive of his shoulders to the other's chest, pinning him against the wall. "Yaone!"

Yaone finished the little half spin on her knees, spear shaft whipping out to catch one of them across the back of the knee and bring the them down. She got up and sprinted for the laboratory door, pulling the detonator off the small cap explosive as she did. She slapped it on quickly to the lock of the door and got to one side just as the little bomb went off, popping the handle off neatly. The guards were running down the hall now in a panic, dragging their injured friends away.

"So... it really worked," Doukugakuji said in amazement.

"We'll pat each other on the back later. Right now we need to find Lord Kougaiji," Yaone muttered, pushing the door open all the way and against the wall. Douku took the other side of the doorway, both of them tensed and ready for an attack. The room itself was completely unguarded, to their total shock. "What the..."

Desks were pushed against walls with papers stacked on top in tall piles that threatened to fall over. The only light in the room came from a big empty tank of a thick liquid. It cast a sickly green glow over everything. Yaone approached the tank, eyes narrowing as she took in all the cables and tubes hanging loose in the fluid. What on earth was this used for? She touched the glass, surprised to find the contents quite warm. But what was this?

"Yaone, look!"

Doukugakuji's startled exclaimation made her turn around, spear ready. But instead of an attack, she gasped, coming over to his side at this new sight. "Lord Kougaiji!" She began to run for him, but Doukugakuji grabbed her arm.

"It's not real. It's just an image," he explained, dark eyes glaring at the sick display.

Kougaiji's image was cast in the same green glow as the tank. A mask covered his mouth, bubbles issuing from it with the rise and fall of his chest. Both stood rooted, too horrified at seeing their lord like this to move. The prince's eyes were closed, auburn hair moving sluggishly around him. Yaone's hand came to her lips, her other hand clinging to Doukugakuji's arm in a death grip. "Douku, what have they done to him?" she whispered.

"I... don't know," he whispered back, the muscles in his arms clenching tight enough to make his entire body tremble. "But whatever they did, I'll make them pay for it dearly!"

Both of them jumped and Yaone let out a startled little scream as the image suddenly jerked, Kougaiji's face twisting in pain as he screamed soundlessly. Doukugakuji pulled her in close, turning her face away as he screamed again, body spasming violently. Tears pricked her eyes at seeing the man she'd always considered unstoppable reduced to some crazed scientist's test subject.

A soft whirring noise started up, and Dr. Nii's voice filled the room, sounding tinny and foreign. "Didn't I say you should never let go of what's precious to you?"

Both of them turned toward that voice and were thus oblivious to the hands coming down on the backs of their necks, knocking them unconscious easily.

Dr. Nii crouched over the two limp forms, grinning around his cigarette. His stuffed rabbit still sat on his desk, projecting the image of the Prince onto the wall. Idly, he ran his finger tips up Yaone's leg again, chuckling softly. "You really do have amazing legs." He stepped back as the guards he'd just finished programming came in, their new barcodes standing out starkly on their arms. He watched through a haze of smoke as the two were dragged away to be locked up somewhere and kept out of trouble. His glasses flashed in the green light as he turned to the figure now leaning in the doorway. "Is there something you need, Zakuro?"

The youkai grinned, flashing a lot more fang than was necessary. "Not a thing. I'm just admiring the show." He nodded slightly with his head, indicating the prince wracked with yet another scream. Dr. Huan was testing how much pain he could endure by sending electric shocks to his spine, each one getting more and more powerful.

"Isn't it just grand?" Dr. Nii continued, smile widening slightly. "So much data being gathered... unless you were refering to our prince's obvious discomfort?"

Zakuro snickered softly, eyes glinting. "The second is what I like, Nii. I don't give a shit about your data, so long as my mistress stays pleased."

Dr. Nii chuckled, rubbing the bandages taped to the back of his neck. "Yes... we don't want her angry, do we?" The other man's only response was another low laugh before he turned on his heel and left.

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against a tree and frowning. Goku yawned on the ground next to him, nyoi-bo resting across his lap. Gojyo stood to his other side, shaku-jo leaned against his shoulder as he smoked. And Sanzo...

Well, Sanzo was having a very bad day.

Sighing, Hakkai pet Hakuryuu's neck absently, wincing slightly at the blood curdling scream that followed closely after a gun shot. "It's been how long now?"

" 'Bout half a fucking hour," Gojyo muttered, letting out a stream of smoke.

"Man... I'm hungry," Goku complained bitterly, scowling at his guardian. "He said he could take them himself."

"He did, dumb ass!"

"Yeah... but he's sure taking his time with it!" Sighing, the boy propped his head on both fists, scowling even darker as Sanzo took aim at one still twitching and put another bullet in it. "Damn it... he's not even aimin' to kill 'em right away!"

Hakkai shifted position, just as annoyed as the boy was over this senseless torture. He knew Sanzo had an incredibly cruel streak... but this had lasted for a little over a week now. It had started about four days after that incident in the desert. Everything had been normal; Gojyo and Goku fighting over something small, Sanzo overreacting and shutting them up, him sitting by and pretending not to notice. It wasn't until the fifth and six days had passed that Hakkai noticed Sanzo was quieter than usual. And more easily irritated. And smoking more. And... well, to sum it up, all his little quirks were becoming more and more extreme.

Yesterday, they'd been attacked by some brainless youkai who thought it best to go at them in a big group. Sanzo had shot his share dead... then started shooting at everyone elses. That's what had gotten Gojyo's attention to the problem. Sanzo never fought more than he had to, prefering to leave it up to them to clean up. What had made Goku notice something was wrong was when Sanzo continued unloading bullets into the corpses, shooting the chamber empty before reloading and moving on to the next body. All of them had been very well behaved for the rest of the day.

And today was no better. This morning, he'd had only one cup of coffee, claiming to have a headache. He'd already smoked through one entire pack and was well into his second one. And he'd intentionally tried to bait Gojyo and Goku into fighting so he could take a couple swings at them. Luckily, Gojyo wasn't dumb enough to fall for it. Goku, however... Hakkai sighed, eyes flicking down to the boy. Sometimes he was just TOO naive for his own good!

A final gunshot and then Sanzo was reloading, coming over to them. His violet eyes were nearly black with unreleased rage. "Way to sit on your fucking asses while I do all the work," he snarled. "Let's get going."

"Huh?" Goku piped up, eyes blinking.

It earned him a sharp kick to the side. "I said, let's go! Get up or I'll kill you."

"Ow... geeze, Sanzo! Ya didn't have to- OW!"

Hakkai winced again at the sharp crack from the fan. "Sanzo, maybe it would... okay, um... Hakuryuu, if you don't mind?" The deadly gaze had slid his way, stopping him from suggesting that maybe he should lay off Goku for a bit. Hakuryuu let out a nervous cheap but rose in the air and obediantly turned back into his Jeep form.

There was for once a scurry to get in the back from Gojyo and Goku, both of them not arguing about sitting so close together. They were crammed at the very back, both making themselves as small as possible. They also kept a hand on the back of the Jeep, just in case they needed to make a quick exit. For the first time ever on this trip, Hakkai really didn't want to be in the driver's seat. Sanzo was already fastened up in front, arms crossed over his chest, eyes hidden behind a fall of golden hair. How one who physically looked like an angel could express such demonic rage was beyond him! "God, please let us get to a town soon," he muttered. "Oh, and a separate room for Sanzo would be greatly appreciated as well." He sat down, sitting as far from the silent priest as possible. He shifted into gear and wondered briefly if it was a sin of some sort to ask for holy protection from a holy man.

>>>>>>>>>>

Something had to be wrong, he mused. There'd been gaps before in their meetings... but never one THIS long. Sanzo glared out the window of the inn, lighting another cigarette before taking a long swig of beer. He hated this awful feeling in his gut. He felt like he was hungry and sick at the same time. And he couldn't keep Yaone out of his mind! Something just wasn't right about this, he knew it.

And the most frustrating thing about it was the fact that he couldn't do shit to stop it. Again. Whatever was happening that was making him so sick (_nervous... you're nervous, stop substituting words for it)_ was also pissing him off. Gojyo and Goku had stopped fighting, and Hakkai was doing everything possible to stay out of his way. That left beating the shit out of those whiny pussies that kept attacking them. And even THAT only went so far in venting his frustrations.

"Fucking hell," he muttered, raking a hand through his hair irritably. The banishing gun rested on the table by the small bed. As useless now as it was back then to keep what he held close safe.

Of course, there was always the option she didn't _want_ to continue their meetings.

He scoffed at the idea, taking another hit and swig. Why wouldn't she want to? After all, she was the one to change the rules. No, it wasn't that. If she did regret kissing him, she would have come to him and said it to his face. She was the type to do that.

His stomach twisted again. No, something was definately not right at Houtu Castle. And there was nothing he could do but wait and see. This was why he tried not to let anyone close. They would get hurt or killed and it would be because he couldn't do anything about it. Goku was the exception. He knew the kid wouldn't die any time soon. But Yaone... Why was he worrying about her? She was strong enough. She's fine... right?

Sanzo stabbed the cigarette into the window sill. "This is so stupid."

>>>>>>>>>>

**_Thud...Thud...Thud..._**

Yaone sighed, putting her head down on her folded arms as she tried to block out that annoying sound. Her knees were tucked up to her chest and she continued to watch Doukugakuji throw his shoulder into the door. She had no idea how long they'd been locked in this room. It was bare except for two blankets and a toilet. The only time they saw anyone was when meals were brought... if that's what the greyish lumpy mass was supposed to be. No one said a word to them, no one even looked at them. It was like dealing with shikagami. No response unless provoked. The first few times, they'd tried to fight their way out. But it was like fighting steel. That was when the zombie-like youkai would wake up and fight back with terrifying strength and speed. Yaone's face still hurt from getting punched into a wall and she knew there was a good chance she might have cracked a rib. Doukugakuji wasn't much better... and here he was inflicting more damage to himself.

After the futile escapes to freedom through force, they'd searched every inch of the room for some weakness. Yaone's explosives had been taken from her (she wouldn't have been surprised if her entire lab had been vandalized), but Doukugakuji could still summon his sword. No good. The walls were incredibly thick. And silent proof. Why else wouldn't anyone hear them calling for help?

**_Thud... Thud... Thud..._**

Sighing again and stretching her legs out, Yaone said a bit sharply, "I don't think that's doing anything, Douku."

"I'm-ugh- not giving up-ugh-until this door's- ugh- down," the swordsman said stubbornly.

Yaone closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall. It was pointless arguing with him when he was in this sort of mood. The air conditioning kicked in mercifully, blowing cold air onto her skin. The room was so incredibly small that it got hot very quickly. At least they had the decency to keep them from sweating to death!

Her eyes flew open. STUPID! So incredibly STUPID! "Doukugakuji!"

Doukugakuji paused mid step, panting and sweat dripping down his brow. "Yeah?"

Quickly getting to her feet, Yaone looked up at the ceiling... and found the air shaft. "Why didn't I think of this earlier?" Here they were trying to find a way out... and it had been right above them the entire time! "Help me up!"

"Son of a bitch!" he exclaimed upon seeing what she'd discovered. He quickly went over, crouching low with his hands cupped.

Yaone stepped up onto his hand, balancing on his shoulders as he lifted her, legs shaking a little. She trusted his strength to hold her weight as she slowly let go of his shoulders, reaching up and prying the cover free. Poking her head up, she used her elbows to push herself up and into the wide metal piping. Now, which way to go?

A rapping noise came from beneath her, along one of the many tunnel ways. "Yaone, can you hear that?" Doukugakuji asked.

"Yes!"

"Follow the noise to go in the right direction."

She crawled along on her stomach, sucking in a breath as a badly placed screw scraped along her thigh. "Damn it all..." Faint light came from ahead, letting her know there was another cover just ahead, maybe another six feet. She was well passed the room now and crawled faster toward the light. All she had to do now was drop down, circle back and get Doukugakuji and they'd be set!

Once she was at the cover, she stopped, peering down through the slits to see if anyone was visible below. No one she could see. Pressing her claws through the slits, wincing as the metal tried to bend them the wrong way, she pushed down, freeing the cover from the hole in the ceiling. She pulled it back into the tunnel with her, setting it aside. Leaning over again, she got a better look around, saw that not a person was in sight. This was better than she could have hoped. Grabbing the edges of the hole, Yaone lowered herself down, hanging in place briefly before she dropped to the floor, making a soft thud as she landed. Perfect! Now, to go and get...

"Well, well, what a lovely surprise," a smooth voice purred behind her.

Yaone spun around, reaching for bombs that weren't there. Oh, shit!

Zakuro pushed away from the corner he was leaning against, smiling slowly. "Here I am taking a walk... and the gods see fit to send a beautiful woman almost right on top of me. I must have been a very good boy today!"

Backing away as he approached, Yaone swallowed heavily, trying to think of something, ANYTHING, to get him to remain silent. "L-Look, this isn't exactly what you think... well, it is... I mean, we're not-,"

He pressed a finger to her lips, silencing the stuttered (and very lame) explainations. "Shh... Nii underestimated you two. My mistress didn't. She thought you'd be clever enough to try an escape. And I can't allow that. Look at me when I'm talking to you, slut!"

Yaone's head snapped back up, more at being called a 'slut' than because he ordered her to. "I don't think-," She broke off in a gasp as she met his eyes and felt like she was being sucked down into the darkness, falling and falling for what seemed like forever until...

Until she landed on her stomach on a pile of skulls and bones. She pushed herself to her feet, looking around her new surroundings frantically. What... how... "What's going on? Where am I?"

Zakuro's laugh echoed in the crimson and black swirling atmosphere. A moment later and the youkai himself stepped out of the deeper shadows, arms crossed over the leather and chains on his chest. "You don't like it? Let's try something different. I believe it was... green walls?"

Yaone spun around again as the crimson wash was replaced with four solid looking jade green walls. No... no, this couldn't be happening! There was the bed... and the broken window... She took a step forward, foot slipping in something on the dark wood floors. At first, she thought it might have been ink since it was so dark. But, it's not all black. It looks sort of like... Her eyes followed the splotches of red blood across the floor, eyes widening in horror. "D-Dad? Dad!" Her father was in the corner of the room, practically unrecognizable beneath all the gore and deep slashes cutting across his face. A youkai knelt in front of him, laughing softly as he licked his own claws, strings of her father's skin and guts hanging from his lips. Yaone fell to her knees, sick at the sight. No... this wasn't real, this wasn't real... She kept repeating that to herself, even as she covered her ears at the wet sounds now coming from the corner.

"That must have really sucked," Zakuro taunted. She winced when he touched her hair, fingers pulling lightly.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, slapping that offensive hand away from her. God, why was he doing this?

"Ew. So THAT'S what the small intestine looks like! I wonder... do you think it actually tastes good? Or is this little one doing it for you benefit? You WERE there watching this... weren't you?" He cackled loudly, grabbing her ponytail and dragging her head up to see the macabre scene. "Answer the question, pretty girl. Did you see this before?"

Yaone whimpered, unable to stop herself. Pretty girl... her nickname. Her father used to call her that all the time. Tears ran down her cheeks unchecked and uncared for at the moment. Yes, she had witnessed this. They'd held her down while that one devoured her father in front of her. She screamed, struggling against the hold on her hair, trying to get to her father's body even though she knew it wasn't real. Not again, she couldn't go through this again! The screaming turned to hysterical sobs. Her eyes wouldn't close, just like the first time. She was too numb to turn away or close her eyes, stuck watching as that greedy mouth tore a chunk from her father's throat, chewing the slippery stuff loudly, the squishing of raw meat coming from his open mouth. She nearly vomited when he buried his face in the gaping stomach, coming out with what looked suspiciously like bits of liver plastered all over his face.

"My, my... I'm not one to be squeamish, but this is almost too disgusting for me," Zakuro commented. "Answer my next question and we'll change the scenery. How much of your father did he consume?"

Yaone swallowed past the tears threatening to choke her. "H-His f-face... neck... his s-s-stomach. God, his thighs... groin..." Her throat was almost too sore to make a sound, claws digging into her own thighs hard enough to draw blood. "No more, p-please!" She whimpered again at the brush of chaste lips to her cheek.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Let's try something more... pleasurable."

They were now in a dark room. Yaone tried sucking in breaths of air, trying to calm down enough to reason this out. This was all an illusion... but how did she get out of it? She couldn't see anything, barely even her own hands. How was she supposed to get out?

Zakuro's laughter filtered in again. "I'm curious, Yaone, who has eyes such a beautiful shade of amethyst?"

No... She froze, breath caught and stuck in her throat. No...

"Gods, I've never seen eyes like that before! I wonder... what youkai male with such amazing eyes managed to slip by my mistress' notice? She's been so bitter lately, what with all the road blocks in our project. A fresh partner might make her more... amiable."

Yaone let her breath out slowly. He didn't know... he wasn't priviledged with that information. Zakuro didn't know who he was seeing. A light flared from the darkness, a tiny flame. A... lighter? She gasped, backing away from violet eyes reflected in that flicker. Nothing more of the face was revealed. And it wouldn't be, she could control at least THAT much of what was going on! "Why? This doesn't concern you! Why are you doing this?"

The light stayed and Zakuro came out of the shadows. "Who is this? Tell me who this is and I'll spare you."

He didn't know... He didn't know, and she couldn't let him find out. Fists balling, she turned to look up at the gloating youkai standing over her, certain he'd won. "Go to hell! I'll never tell you the name!"

Zakuro actually looked surprised, jaw dropping. It was momentary, but it gave her a small satisfaction that was short lived when his lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Go to hell, she says! Go to hell? No, pretty girl, you don't understand. I won't be going to hell anytime soon. I _create_ it! And your hell is just about to get much worse."

Yaone pushed to her feet, anger replacing the fear. If she panicked, he'd learn the name and she couldn't have that. "Could you be any more cliche?" she asked sarcastically. "Am I supposed to be afraid of someone who can't come up with a more original line than 'I create hell'? How absurd!" She wasn't at all prepared for what happened next.

He didn't attack her, at least not like she'd thought he would. Instead, that cruel lift of lip was back as he shoved her, just hard enough to send her back a step. That one step was all he needed though. Yaone tripped as her knees hit something and she sprawled on her back onto something soft and slippery. It took her a second to figure out it was a bed draped over in silk sheets. And yet another to realize what exactly he was intending to do. "NO!"

"Since you won't give up the prize, and I'm in the mood now to fuck something, it might as well be you," Zakuro commented. Yaone pushed away from him as he crawled onto the bed. She swung her foot out, catching him hard in the jaw, splitting his lip open. Snarling, his eyes narrowing to slits, he said, "Oh, isn't that unfortunate! You've been chained up."

Chains suddenly appeared around her wrists, leading off into nowhere. Her legs were spread wide open and tight to the bed so she couldn't move an inch. She pulled frantically, once again reminding herself this wasn't real and that she should be able to break this.

"But you don't want to break it, pretty girl. See, the thought of me fucking you over and over has made you...very...hot."

Her eyes flew open at the sudden rush of feeling. Shit... oh, shit! This wasn't an illusion... this was something much more real than that... His power was unlike anything she'd ever heard of. She struggled away from the hand on her thigh, trying to fight off what her body was telling her to do. No, this wasn't happening! She pulled and pulled on the chains until her wrists were cut and bleeding, and she tried using the blood to act as a lubricant to slip her hands free. Yaone screamed when lips touched where the hand had been.

"Oh, do keep screaming, Yaone. It's such music to my ears," Zakuro purred, his hand moving higher, lips staying where they were.

Yaone bit down hard on her lower lip to keep back any signs that she was enjoying his attentions. It was only her body. It didn't matter, he couldn't really touch her, not the way _he_ could. She knew now Zakuro could hear her thoughts, and she was glad of it as his body tensing angrily.

"I don't need to touch you anywhere but here!"

This time, she wasn't able to keep back the cry from her lips. A name... "KOUGAIJI!" _Please, Lord Kougaiji... please be safe. I'm sorry I failed you._ She failed her lord... but she kept the other man she loved safe.

>>>>>>>>>>

Zakuro watched from the wall as the lovely youkai healer's body twisted on the floor of the hall way, still fighting the illusion. Such beautiful, pale skin... if he weren't already serving his mistress, he would have physically done the deed. Hypnotically was enough, though. An audience had gathered, laughing and jeering at the woman on the floor. Simple soldiers, just out for a good time. And with this show... well, it was more than obvious what was going on with her!

He scowled and backhanded the soldier trying to sneak closer and cop a feel. "Hands off! This one is mine, by orders of Lady Gyokumen Koushu. Touch her, and you'll leave this place in a bag!"

The soldier drew back, muttering about 'damned cliches'. That word again! He was hardly cliche! The anger at her taunting him made him focus more on her, his other self (the one fucking her) pushing her farther. The screams from his victim began to change and the soldiers started cheering louder until...

"SHIT! Did you SEE how far her back arched?"

"Fuck me!"

"Gods, what a sight... what a fucking awesome sight!"

Zakuro smiled and stepped forward, crouching over the panting form on the ground, pushing sweaty pieces of hair from her face. "We're done now," he whispered, releasing his hold on her and letting her slip into a merciful sleep. Standing again, he turned to the audience and said, "Leave her here. I don't want her touched in anyway... and believe me, I WILL find out if you did. Get back to your duties!"

Grumbling, some of them even daring to glare, the soldiers left the hallway.

With one final look over his shoulder at the healer, Zakuro smiled again and went to tell his mistress every detail. And he did mean _every detail._ He was certain it would put her in a good enough mood to 'thank him' in ways he desperately needed right then.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone groaned, rolling over and hissing as her abused muscles pulled. She cracked her eyes open, saw that the torches had been lit and that it was completely dark out. And she was still in the hallway. That bastard had... raped her... and left her here! What did she expect from one of Gyokumen Koushu's servants? She hissed again as she moved, wondering briefly if maybe it all had been real. Her body hurt so badly, like it had actually happened! Maybe it was part of Zakuro's power. Saying his name to herself made a tiny cry break free, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. She didn't like that sound coming from her. It sounded broken, defeated. And she in no way lost this battle. Zakuro still didn't know the owner of those violet eyes. And Kougaiji was still alive. Kougaiji...

Using the wall, she pulled herself to her feet, stumbling a little as her legs refused to work properly. The cuts on her wrist were dried now, but her bottom lip was throbbing from where she'd bitten it. Sniffling back any further tears, she managed to find her way out of the castle and to the stables.

She couldn't stay in this place, not right now. She had to get out. And there was only one place she wanted to be right then. "I hope to God he's been in a foul temper," she muttered as she saddled Sparky, who was mewing angrily at having been woken so rudely. If he was angry, he'd leave an easy enough trail to pick up. A low cry broke from her throat as she sat in the saddle, reining in the dragon to keep him from moving right away. Once she was settled a little less painfully, she let Sparky have enough line to leave the stable, wings flexing as he took a running start into the air.

>>>>>>>>>>

"It's not fair!" Goku complained. "There's four of us and two rooms. Why does Sanzo get his own?"

"With the way that crazy prick's been acting, you seriously wanna be locked in a room with him tonight?" Gojyo asked.

There was silence as Goku thought about that. "I GET THIS BED!"

"THE HELL YOU DO!"

Sanzo leaned his forehead against the cool window glass, closing his eyes. His head ache was the worst than it's been in a long time. And, once again, it looked as if Yaone wasn't going to show up. His dinner still sat untouched on the table. It had been brought up at six. It was now almost ten, and he still wasn't hungry. Damn it, he wished to the fucking gods he knew what was going on over there! Sitting back and waiting like some housewife was really beginning to piss him off. Letting out a long breath, he stood up, untying his robe. He might as well get a little meditation in before the snoring/talking/pacing around started next door. At least the noise had died down to a civil enough card game.

"HA! Black jack, I win," Goku declared.

"Um... actually, Goku, that's twenty-two," Hakkai said gently.

"Wha- aw, shit!"

Sanzo had just peeled the leather off when a soft knock came to the door. Who the fuck would be bothering him at this hour? Scowling, he undid the chain, slid back the dead bolt and yanked the door open. He froze, eyes widening at the site.

Yaone stood there, covered in dried blood, hair a mess and looking as if she'd been crying for hours. She didn't say a word, and she didn't have to. The look was enough. He did the first thing that came to mind, pulling her to him, letting her hands circle his waist. He rubbed her back as her shoulders shook with sobs and shut the door, glaring at the few onlookers that had been staring. Damn it all to hell... fuck meditation. Now he wanted names!


	10. Chapter 10

Yaone let the familiar feel and smell of him fill her senses. The cigarettes, the gunpowder, the oil used for polishing that weapon, his arms wrapped around her back... everything about him was so overwhelming right then she couldn't keep a level head to calmly tell him what had happened. It started as a few hot tears splashed against his bare chest which then quickly dissolved into sobs, her forehead pressed to his warm shoulder. She circled his neck with her arms, pulling as close as she could. And he simply let her do it. She was so worked up it didn't even occur to her how shocking it was that he was letting her cling to him like this.

Sanzo stepped back a pace, pulling her further into the room to shut and lock the door again. He didn't say a word, just let her cry against him, her tears trailing down his chest and stomach, catching a little on the muscles. A few missed completely and hit his bare feet. And still he just let her cry. "E-Everything's a m-m-mess," she cried, arms tightening around his neck. "Every-thing's j-just..."

"You need to stop crying before talking," his voice said near her ear, low and firm, almost commanding her to stop crying. "I can't understand a damn word you're saying like this."

Yaone sniffled, closing her eyes tightly, fingers brushing through the soft golden hair. He continued to just hold her, letting her cry herself out. She had no idea how much time had passed, but slowly she began to regain control of her tears. The choking gasps of breath evened out to shallow ones, her eyes stung badly without the moisture to them and she wasn't as sniffly as when it first started. Slowly, she pushed away from him a bit, keeping her body still in the loop of his arms. Sanzo met her gaze, violet eyes showing nothing at all of what he was feeling. Which meant he was feeling a lot and didn't want her to know. She closed her eyes when his fingertips touched the bruise on her jaw gently, tracing down underneath her lower lip to where her teeth had broken the skin.

"I'm going to go get some things," he said in that same firm tone. "Lie down." He let her go, heading for the door.

She caught his wrist, stopping him. "Please... don't go. I don't want to be alone!"

Sanzo made a slightly derisive sound. "Don't be a fool. I'm just getting gauze and disinfectant. And food. You've lost weight. Now, let go and lie down on the bed."

Reluctantly, Yaone dropped his wrist, watching as he left the room, shutting the door quietly behind himself. She moved over to the bed stiffly, her mind flashing back to one draped over in silk sheets. And that made her think about Zakuro... and what he'd done. It might not have been the physical act of rape, but the results were the same, even physically. Her muscles were strained and aching, and she did have his claw marks on the back of her thighs. The mind inflicting the imagined pain, she mused. She stretched out on the bed, hugging a pillow to her, to wait for him. It was cold... so cold. He'd obviously not been in bed when she came to him. No trace at all of his scent on the pillows. She hugged the pillow tighter, curling her knees up to her chest as far as they could go. _Please, hurry back._

_>>>>>>>>>> _

Hakkai stayed very still in the shadows of the kitchen, the glass of water forgotten as Sanzo snuck in, moving quickly for the cabinet near the back where the inn keeper kept medical supplies. He heard the monk muttering a moment before there was a click and then the light of a flame. He could see his shadow moving as he searched shelves, pulling things off. Was Sanzo hurt? Funny, he hadn't noticed any new injuries on the blonde.

The light went out and Sanzo shut the cabinet again, replacing the slide bolt exactly as he'd found it before gathering up some simple food items and a bottle of wine. Then, just as quickly as he entered, he left, balancing everything carefully.

Hakkai pushed away from his spot, eyebrows quirking downward. Whatever was the matter with him? It wasn't like him to be sneaking around in the dead of night, especially for FOOD! That was Goku's department. Sighing, he finished off his glass of water, mind still racing over logical explainations for the monk's strange behavior and failing to find one that fit with his ascerbic personality. Shaking his head, he muttered, "I give up." He couldn't come up with anything requiring Sanzo to be secretive. Tomorrow morning, he'd go and check on things. If the monk WAS injured, it would be best to have him healed right away so they can start up on their journey at day break.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone gasped as a hand shook her shoulder, reacting out of instinct to the unfamiliar touch. She grabbed the wrist, yanking the attacker down to bring her palm up under their jaw and inflict some damage.

Except, this attacker anticipated the move and blocked her palm easily, violet eyes going colder than cold for a moment before returning to their usual blankness. She shuddered at the utterly inhuman look (like staring Death in the eye), closing her eyes as Sanzo relaxed his grip on her arm slowly. "Sorry... I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Hmph, whatever. There's a bath for you, and I found some food and wine," he answered, getting up from where he'd been sitting on the edge of the bed.

She blinked her eyes open for a moment. He'd drawn her a bath? The surprisingly kind gesture made her sit up, hissing as her lower stomach muscles pulled tight, aching. She could feel violet eyes watching her from the table, but he didn't offer to help. He was waiting to see if she could do it herself. Slowly, she pushed to the edge of the bed, boots hitting the floor. Her legs were still shaking from the nightmare flashes of memory and it took her a second to let go of the bed frame.

Yaone went over to the closed door where light trickled underneath, assuming correctly that it was the bathroom. She opened the door, blinking as a rush of steam poured out. Closing the door behind her, she saw that not only was a bath waiting, but he'd put the towels over the heater to keep them warm. It brought a little smile to her lips. How very kind of him. She stood in front of the tiled sink, staring at her reflection through the steam covered mirror. She wiped away a good section of it with her hand, revealing her reflection. Her eyes stared back at her with something close to being despair mixed with exhaustion. Dried blood clung to her in certain places... like where he'd bitten down on her neck. She touched the perfect imprint of teeth and shuddered, eyes closing. No more... she couldn't look at herself like this anymore.

She slid down the side of sink, back pressed to the cabinet and drew her knees up to her chest, folding her arms over the top before hiding her face there. Closing her eyes, she focused on keeping her breathing steady...

And woke up again at gentle hands pulling her hair free, unbraiding the tiny pieces. She turned her face up, mere inches away from a face made more beautiful in the soft light in the bathroom. Odd, how even the most unflattering light seemed to make his skin glow. Sanzo glanced down at her and continued to work her hair free. Once it was down and hanging in tangles around her, he started with her boots, moving methodically, and very carefully, to the torn stockings. Her eyebrows furrowed as she let him straighten her legs away from her chest. "What..."

"You've been in here for almost a half hour," he explained curtly. "Since it's obvious you're not going to do it, I will. No way in hell I'm letting you in my bed covered in this shit."

Yaone couldn't help the smile. She undid the chains on her top herself, holding the piece up for modesty's sake. He undid the clasp on the white leather tunic and she pulled one arm away at a time so he could push it off, leaving her in the tight shorts and top. "You can finish this yourself," he muttered, standing up and turning his back to give her privacy.

"This was more than I expected," she whispered, letting go of the top while unlacing the front enough to pull it over her head. Even her breasts ached a bit.

"And what exactly did you expect me to do?" he asked, sounding almost angry. "Tell you to leave when it's obvious you can barely undress yourself?"

"I didn't mean-," She stared at his back, the muscles bunched fiercely around his shoulders.

"-You're acting like I'm some heartless prick. Get in the bath already." The door slammed shut after him.

Yaone's jaw dropped as she continued to stare after him. She hadn't meant to make him angry. That was the last thing she wanted to do! But why? Why did he react like that to such simple words of gratitude? She thought about the conversation (if that's what it could be called) again, replaying the whole thing over. The only reason she could think of for him to get angry was...

If he really did care for her.

If that was the case, then she could see how her words would have offended him. Sanzo was trying to act like a... like a... what? 'Boyfriend' wasn' the word at all. It was far too juvenile and implied something that could be declared to the world. They were beyond the 'friend' stage now. She'd moved them there. The only word that came to mind was 'lover'... but that didn't exactly describe it either. Sighing, she finished undressing, stepping into the still steaming hot tub, hissing as the water soaked into cuts and bruises, loosening the dried blood from her legs. Anyway she looked at it, she'd hurt his feelings. It couldn't be easy for him to open up as much as he had to her. And the fact that he _was_ slowly exposing himself to her made her melt a little inside. Yaone leaned her head back against the tub's curled ledge, sinking as far in as she could. She would apologize for her mistake after the bath.

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo lit another cigarette angrily, pacing around the small room. That bitch! Where the fuck did she come off suggesting something like that? As IF he'd turn her out looking like that! He desperately wanted to kick something or throw something... no, kill it. He was pissed to the point of storming back into that bathroom and shouting at her. Here he was trying to help her... and she thought he was doing it out of pity! Pity was about the last thing he felt for her. Yes, he didn't like seeing her cut up and beaten. But it was obvious she'd fought back, and, even if she didn't win, she at least stayed alive. He respected that. It made those earlier apprehensions for her safety fade away. Yaone wasn't going to die on him. She would fight back, and if necessary retreat.

He glared at that door, cheeks flushed with embarassment. Damn... goddamn it! Had he been completely wrong about her? Usually his instincts weren't so completely off-kilter. It _had_ been a quick little kiss, after all. Maybe she hadn't even meant it. Damn... His fingers twitched with the need to do something violent and potentially painful to someone. That bastard who did this to her... he didn't know the name yet, or what the fucker looked like, but regardless of her feelings for him, Sanzo was looking forward to making that guy piss his pants at the end of his gun!

So stupid of him, really, to assume that this was more than just...

_Just, what? Friendship? Now you ARE being stupid! You know it's not. She's tired and hurt and most likely didn't mean those words the way they came out. She came to YOU for help, not anyone else. YOU! That has to mean something._

Yeah, it meant something. It meant he was a fucking friend to her.

_Stop being so goddamn sulky! You're starting to act like Gojyo._

Sanzo flicked the end of that cigarette away and contemplated reaching for a third. He WAS sulking, and that made him sick with himself. Him, sulky? Absurd! Sighing, he decided on the third cigarette, lighting it up. Gods, why this, why now... why HER? he let the smoke trickle from his lips, sitting down on the bed, elbows on his knees. His eyes went over to the bathroom door and then back to the clock again. The bath water had to be cold by now. Maybe he should check on her again...

He stood up, tapping on the door. There was a startled splash of water and then...

**Thud!**

"Ow... damn it all!"

His lips twisted in a quick smirk. She'd obviously fallen out of the tub or something. "Are you about done?" he asked through the door.

"Um... yes. Just about. I don't suppose... you have any spare clothing I might borrow?"

Oh. Shit, he'd forgotten to find something for her to wear! Glancing around the room, the only things he saw were his silk robe (OUT OF THE QUESTION) and his bag devoid of his extra gear. Hakkai had taken his extra shirt to be washed after he and the green-eyed man had been caught in the crossfire of a food fight. Eyes narrowing at that annoying incident, he unmade the bed, pulling the sheet off. He tapped on the door again and she opened it just enough for him to see she had a towel around her body... but it wasn't doing a very good job of hiding anything. He couldn't stop the flush from creeping into his cheeks, or the way his body reacted to seeing her dripping wet and practically naked.

Blushing furiously, Yaone snatched the sheet from him, shutting the door behind her. Sanzo stepped back a pace, staring at the tail end still trapped in the door and wondering how long it would take her to notice.

"UGH!" The door opened and closed again quickly as she pulled the rest of the sheet inside. He shook his head, walking over to the ash tray to stub out the cigarette. He grabbed the bandages and disinfectant, taking it all over to sit on the bed, which thankfully was across from the door. All he'd have to do in an attack was sit up, shoot the dumb bastard for disturbing him, and go back to sleep. His back was against the headboard, legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles. It was still several more minutes before she came out with the sheet wrapped awkwardly all around her.

"Don't even think about laughing," she muttered.

"Never crossed my mind," Sanzo answered. Not a lie. It hadn't really... until she'd suggested it. He motioned for her to come over and she did, crawling up next to him while holding the sheet in place until she was kneeling by his side. With her hair down, she looked a lot younger than he knew she was. She looked almost Goku's age, even though she was only a year or two younger than himself. He sat up, crossing his legs and opened the cotton pads and the disinfectant. "I suppose I don't need to tell you this stuff burns like a motherfucker."

Yaone gave him a very small smile. "Obviously."

Nodding, he soaked the cotton the cool liquid, using his free hand to tilt her head to the side, dabbing at the small cut over her eye. There was a slight twitch of muscle but she stayed quiet. "Are you calm enough to talk now?"

"I am. I... I'm not really sure where to begin though. I guess this started right after the New Year. I left you and went back to Houtu Castle. Lord Kougaiji wasn't happy I'd been missing for so long."

_Fuck him!_ "Are you trying to tell me he did this?" She hissed as his fingers accidentally pressed too hard on the bruise along her jaw. "Sorry."

"No... it's alright. And no, he didn't. Lord Kougaiji would never do this to anyone. He was angry and left to find you-,"

"-Which he did." That explained why he was acting so oddly in the desert. The prince was pissy over his healer being gone for so long.

"-But it was set up to get him out of the castle. Then, guards attacked myself and Lirin and... they took her."

Sanzo tilted her chin back so he could see the cut under her lip. He could just imagine how that must have killed her. For some reason, the little brat was special to Yaone. _Much like Goku to, you._ He gritted his teeth at that comparison but didn't argue it either. "So, they took Lirin."

Her jaw muscles clenched at the touch of the cotton to her chin. As the blood was cleaned away, he frowned when he realized they were teeth marks. Not the right angle to have been from someone else (like an overly rough lover) to his relief. It came from her and had nothing to do with sex. Relief washed over him as he set the used cotton aside and pulled out some band-aids. fixing one just big enough to cover the now bleeding wound. He picked up fresh pads, motioning with his head to her neck. "You need to pull the sheet down a little."

Yaone did as he said, cheeks flaming up bright red. "They took Lirin and tied me up. I don't know where she is. When they let me go again, I went to find Lord Kougaiji and Dokugakuji, only to discover that Lord Kougaiji had been taken by..." She stopped, hands balling into angry fists.

It was obvious the person who took Kougaiji was part of the revival project. A BIG part of it, judging from how she wouldn't even say the name. And not an ally to Kougaiji's group, either. What could they possibly need both of Gyumaoh's children for? How were they necessary for the seal to be broken?

"Hold still." Sanzo tilted her head back to expose the deep bites At the first brush of the disinfectant, her body stiffened, hand closing over his wrist. He stopped, waiting for her to relax again before continuing. Slowly, she released her grip on him and he moved on. "The people that have him aren't out to make him better, right?"

"Right," she said, letting out a relieved little sigh that he was ignoring the lack of name. "They're not the sort of people I would hand my worst enemy to. Dokugakuji and I tried to save Lord Kougaiji... but we were imprisoned. Again."

"Hmph, just like I was poisoned. Again." She held the same bitterness he did apparently about getting caught up in the same shit over and over.

"I heard that. It... I was worried."

Sanzo paused in cleaning the wound on her collar bone. She was worried? About him? He had no clue how to respond to that He didn't want her to worry about him. There was no need. He wasn't going to die anytime soon, no matter how many times he'd come close to it in the past.

"Sanzo?" Yaone asked nervously. Her hand was on his wrist again, pulling his hand away. Her other hand touched his cheek, the light brush of her fingers sending little thrills to his spine. Damn... what was this feeling? He liked it... but he hated not having a name for it. "Sanzo, in the bathroom... why did you get mad?"

He refused to answer. That was none of her goddamn business, and it was making him angry again just thinking about it. He closed his eyes, trying to fight off the sensations her fingers slipping back into his hair caused. Why did this feel so good? It was almost... distracting... how she effected him like this. He couldn't afford to be distracted, but he couldn't bring himself to stop her. Gods... fuck it! Fuck it all!

Yaone's lips brushing very lightly against his made him jerk his eyes open, startled by the new rush of feeling that coursed through him. Copper-brown eyes stared back at him from a short distance, trying to read beyond the obvious shock. He closed his eyes again, unwilling to share with her what he didn't even know. He was almost afraid to find out what exactly to call this emotion, afraid she might know it and recognize it. Sanzo jumped a little when her tongue brushed against his lips. "What..."

She smiled patiently, her hand going from his neck down to his chest, pausing over where his heart was pounding. "You've never kissed a girl before?"

Sanzo scowled, angry she would rub that little fact into his face. "In case you failed to notice, I'm a monk," he snapped. What, she expected him to be a raging pervert like Gojyo? If that's what she wanted, the red-head was next door!

Yaone's smile softened, pressing her forehead to his. "Stop being so defensive. It was only a question. I'm sorry I assumed you had experience... with this."

"I never said I didn't." He did, too... to some degree. Granted it wasn't with detailed knowledge (like the kappa, or even Hakkai for that matter) but it was enough for a basic understanding.

He was rewarded with a deep crimson blush to her cheeks and neck as she awkwardly turned away. "Oh... I didn't mean to insinuate-,"

"Shut up." He didn't want to hear her apologize for insulting his 'male ego' or something else equally ridiculous. Sanzo this time took the lead, kissing her again. And this time, when her tongue brushed against his lips, he let her slip inside his mouth, her head tilting a little for a better angle. His eyes flew open again, locking with hers, shocked at this new thrill tracing up and down his spine. This was how he'd seen Gojyo kiss his women. And he was beginning to appreciate the effects of it. Before, he thought it was disgusting and lewd and a whole list of other things that made him sick to his stomach. But this... was nice. VERY nice. As in, she better kiss him like this all the time or he'd be pissed.

Yaone stopped this time, breathing a little harder, lips parted. He forced himself to swallow back any sounds of protest at the loss of her mouth. That would be like admitting he was weak or something. Sometime during that kiss, his hand had found its way to her lower back, just over the curve of her ass, fingers digging into the sheet. "S-Sanzo?"

"What?"

"Do you understand now?"

He sat back, confused. Understand what? The fact that she'd just about blown his mind? THAT he understood perfectly, but he had a feeling she wasn't refering to that. "Not following you."

The blush spread down her neck, her lips trembling a little as she tried to speak. "You were mad in the bathroom because you thought I didn't care for you, right?"

He couldn't help the shocked expression that crossed his face at having his words basically flung back at him. Had he really been that obvious? "Look, it's not-,"

"-Do you understand now that I DO care? I came here... I came here because you were the first person I thought of. I didn't think of trying to find Dokugakuji or another youkai woman to help me. I thought of you. I guess... I don't know what I'm trying to say anymore."

Sanzo didn't respond. He COULDN'T respond. He thought he knew what she was saying, but didn't want to risk being wrong by putting words to it. "Shit..." He pulled her in to him, felt her arms go around his neck, fingers toying with his hair. "Your point was made." That was the best he could do at the time.

"I wish this wasn't so complicated," she whispered, lips moving against his ear.

"Wishing doesn't do shit. It's complicated and there's nothing we can do about it except deal with it or walk away from it."

Yaone smiled against his shoulder. "I'm up for the challenge. You?"

"Have I backed down from one yet?" She laughed, letting him go completely to sit back, hands running down his arms to brush against his fingers. "I suppose we should finish this up." It took him a second to get his mind out of the gutter and realize she was refering to the cuts. Perversion had to be a disease, he swore to himself, shaking his head a little dispell the final, very erotic, image that had put itself into his head.

Sanzo picked up the cotton pad again and continued cleaning off her wounds, still trying to sort out the many conflicting emotions. Again he had to ask himself, why her?

_Because she's her. And you like her._

That made no sense and perfect sense at the same time. Too much like something Goku would think. He shook his head and continued working on getting her patched up. Once he was finished, Yaone only making a few minor adjustments to the bandages on her wrists, Sanzo pulled the remaining covers back and over the both of them. He slept on his back to better face the door if necessary. Yaone curled up on her side facing him, but untouching. He was both pleased and disappointed at the same time. Pleased because she'd figured out on her own not to block his gun hand. Disappointed because she'd picked that side to sleep on, instead of the other where she _could_ touch him if she wanted to. He relaxed back against the pillows, double checking to clock to see if it was set an hour earlier than before to give her time to sneak out. Which meant about three hours of sleep tops. Fucking sonufabitch! Hakkai BETTER have enough coffee made in the morning.

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku's eyes flew open, confused. He rolled over in bed, wondering what had woken him up. It wasn't breakfast time. It was too dark out! Besides, his tummy didn't _feel_ hungry like it needed food. It felt kinda...

_(What is this...like this... like HER... gods, her...)_

He blinked, ruffling his hair. Where did that come from? What her was he thinkin' about? That girl who'd given him the meatbuns? She was cute and all, but he didn't really wanna track her down or anything. That was somethin' Gojyo would do. He let out a small sound as emotions, all of them nice and warm crashed into him briefly before they stopped. Those weren't his thoughts. But whose were they if they weren't his?

Rolling over, he faced the wall to the room next door. And froze. No way... Sitting up again, Goku pressed his ear to the wall. Sanzo was awake and talking... and a WOMAN answered! Another woman? Sanzo was actin' more like the perverted cockroach than himself. He wanted to go over there... but he didn't wanna get hit in the head!

"Goku?" Hakkai asked sleepily.

Goku turned to look back at the other man, rubbing his squinted eyes. "Huh?"

"It's almost three in the morning. Why are you awake?"

Blushing a little, Goku crawled to the edge of his bed and whispered, "I think Sanzo's got a girl over there."

Green eyes remained unfocused and sleepy. "And...?"

"And... what? SANZO has a GIRL. In his ROOM!"

Hakkai blinked a couple more times before shaking his head and flopping back on his pillow. He pulled the extra one over his head and said, voice muffled, "Please go back to sleep, Goku."

"But, Hakkai-,"

"Goku, I'm begging you! If there IS a female in Sanzo's room, it's his business, not ours. Now, we have a very long drive tomorrow, and I'd rather not fall asleep behind the wheel and kill us all. Good night."

Goku scowled at the lump that was Hakkai, shifting uncomfortably around on the bed. He couldn't sleep, not with all that warmth tingling through him still. He'd always been able to catch little peeks of Sanzo's thoughts and feelings. Ever since he'd found Goku on the mountain, it had been there, popping up every once in a while and disappearing again. This was the first time in months... and also the weirdest. Before, the thoughts and feelings had been very jumbled and usually angry or violent. This was... this was somethin' MUCH different. Punching his pillow again, he forced himself to close his eyes, the connection with Sanzo broken but that feeling still present. Since Hakkai wouldn't talk about it and Sanzo would kill him for even asking, that left one person who might be able to explain it. Tomorrow, he'd ask Gojyo!

>>>>>>>>>>

AUTHOR'S APOLOGY: Sorry if Sanzo was a bit off. I'm trying sooo hard to keep him Sanzo and make him want to be sexy at the same time.GRRRR!


	11. Chapter 11

Dokugakuji stood up from where he was crouched on the ground, fists clenched and ready as the locks were undone on the door. It had been hours since Yaone managed to get out. Something must have happened to her. The door swung inward and four drone guards came in, followed by a youkai he knew very well.

"Zakuro," he snarled, eyes narrowing dangerously. "I see Gyokumen Koushu's let you off your leash."

"Sadly, yes," he answered with a dramatic sigh. His expression shifted miraculously fast into a sinister smile. "You cohort was most enjoyable... I see now why the prince is so fond of her."

"What did you do with Yaone?" Not that he expected the bastard to answer. He still couldn't stop himself from asking anyway.

"I? Nothing. She did everything to herself." He laughed pleasantly, shaking his long hair out. "Which is why I wanted to talk to you, actually. I was trying to locate our lovely explosives expert, but she seems to have vanished. In fact, according to the stable master, she's been vanishing quite a bit recently. You wouldn't happen to know where she went... would you?"

Dokugakuji's jaw hardened instantly, staring fixedly at the other's chest. He knew Zakuro was trying to catch his gaze and wouldn't let him. He'd experienced Zakuro's brand of 'fun' before and wasn't about to again. "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, but I think you do. See, I think she's hiding something... something she holds very dear to her. And, as her comrade in arms I think she told you about it. So, feel like sharing? Or will I have to use force?"

"Zakuro, you wouldn't know force if it bit your cock off," he sneered. It was true, too. Zakuro wasn't the most physically intimidating youkai in the world, which was why he resorted to illusions. Why fight when your opponent's mind could do the work for you?

The shoulders tensed, hands knotting into shaking fists. "You dare to mock me? You DARE... to mock ME? No one, not you or that bitch healer or even your precious prince, can escape my clutches!"

Dokugakuji arched a brow, shaking his head. "Man... is it just me or have you become more of a drama queen since Gyokumen Koushu made you her lapdog? And talk about cliche!"

Zakuro let out a wordless growl, fists tightening to the point that his claws broke the skin. "Just tell me what I want to know!"

"Um... no. Even if I DID know, it's none of your goddamn business what Yaone does with her free time. Besides, what does it matter?"

"It doesn't concern you why I want the information. If you want to live-,"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Tell you what you want to know." He shook his head again, crossing his arms over his chest. This was just plain ridiculous now. He didn't have time to waste on this one! He had to find Kougaiji. But, he couldn't help wonder... at a time like this, when everything they'd fought to protect was on the brink of being destroyed, where the HELL did Yaone run off to? He knew a couple places to look, but that was only if she'd remained in the castle. And his gut told him she hadn't. Damn that woman! When he found her, he was going to _make_ her tell him!

"Who is the youkai with violet eyes?"

The question startled Dokugakuji out of his thoughts and made him frown. "What?" A youkai with violet eyes? Just what the hell was this guy on?

"In her mind, I saw eyes like amethysts. She wouldn't let me see the face, but it was a man. Who is he?"

Oh... SHIT! Dokugakuji's jaw dropped as understanding slammed into him like a brick wall. She... she wouldn't... not with... "I have no idea who you're talking about. Why, you batting for the other side now? Didn't think you were really into men, but who knows nowadays."

Zakuro swung at Dokugakuji's jaw, but the bigger man dodged it, being careful not to offer any threat. The drone guards stayed very still, unmoving and barely blinking. Just as he'd thought... Zakuro wasn't the one controling them. That could mean only one other person... and that person had Kou! "Looks like your friends aren't gonna be saving your ass this time, Zakuro. You sure you want to fight me?"

He didn't have to see the face to imagine the growing fear there. Smiling grimly, he took a step closer to the other man, rotating his neck to make the joints pop. "Being couped up here for the gods know how long makes a man wanna get a good work out in. So, how about it? Want to have a go?"

The slighter youkai began backing out of the room, the guards following behind. "This isn't over yet, Dokugakuji! I WILL-,"

"-Be back and have your revenge... Save it for the stage!" As the guards didn't lock the door up again, he assumed he was being let out and left, walking quickly down the silent halls to Yaone's room. If what that bastard had said was true, he could only think of one person that sort of fit that description.

And if that WAS who she was sneaking off to see, he was going to have her hide!

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone buried her head further under the pillow as someone shook her. "Mm... just a little longer."

"I already let you sleep an extra fifteen minutes. Get up. Now."

Pushing the pillow off her head, she glared bleary eyed up at the blonde leaning over her, cigarette already burning away. "Fine." Sanzo stepped back to let her get up, the sheet still wrapped around herself in a sort of dress. Yawning, she headed for the bathroom to at least wash her face and pull her hair back, grabbing her clothing awkwardly off one of the chairs. Blinking in the hard white light, she ran the water until it was warm enough to use and then soaked a cloth in it, scrubbing at her face. She'd been out the minute her head hit the pillow last night, exhausted from the whole ordeal. After checking the bandages to see if they would be good until she got back, she pulled the leather up and on, fastening the chains to her top in place as well as the ones to her stockings.

When she was done tying her hair back in the usual ponytail minus the braids, she went back into the room to find him tying his robe closed, the sutra still rolled up neatly on the table. Sanzo indicated with a nod the steaming cup on the table. "You took so damn long I had time to get coffee."

"That's bullshit," she muttered, picking the cup up and inhaling its contents gratefully. The alarm never went off, which meant he'd been up at least just before that.

"Hmph. Think what you want." The chamber spun open on the gun and he slipped the bullets in quickly before spinning it shut and tucking it away for later. "The next stop isn't for a few days. It's a place called Shussan."

"I know it. It's right up against the forest on the western side of the mountain." She slipped her vest on and fastened it before stomping into her boots.

"The mountain path isn't exactly easy, so depending on the weather, we might be stuck there a couple days."

Nodding, she drained off the rest of her coffee quickly, ignoring the burn in her throat. "I'll try... but I can't guarantee anything."

"Neither can I. I paid a messenger to run ahead and book four rooms. Little bastard never came back."

Yaone hid the smile quickly. The great Genjyo Sanzo... hoodwinked by a delivery boy. It was an amusing thought. Double checking to make sure she had everything, she waited for him to finish unrolling the sutra and place it around his shoulders. He followed her to the door, unlocking it and checking the hall as usual. "I'll try and see you at Shussan," she whispered as they both waited for the cleaning crew to go by.

Attention still mostly on the hall way, he nodded. Then, when the coast was clear, he opened the door, stepping back to let her through. Yaone pulled him down a little to kiss him, smiling against his lips when a hand came to her hip, pulling her closer.

"If you keep looking so damn smug everytime we do this, I'm not kissing you again," he threatened, eyes opening just enough so that she caught a faint hint of violet through the dark gold fringe.

"Sorry." Their mouths were still together as they spoke and she was having a hard time not laughing at him. She didn't doubt for the world he would go through with the threat... but she couldn't help feeling a little pleased with herself. Never in a million years would she have thought to be kissing the ice-cold monk. Or having him return the sign of affection either.

"Don't lie." He pushed her away, a scowl twisting his lips. There wasn't the usual angry glare in his eyes to match it though... "Are you going to leave or stand there all fucking morning?"

"Alright, alright!" She smiled quickly and hurried down the stares. The door shut softly and the lock slid back in place.

>>>>>>>>>>

Dokugakuji sat very still in the only chair left upright in Yaone's room. As was his room, hers had been trashed, things ripped apart and searched through. There was a small picture he'd kept from when he'd taken his brother to a traveling fair that had been ripped to pieces. The only real memory he had of that time and now it was gone. Everything he'd ever had... senselessly destroyed. He snapped out of the daydream and paid attention as Yaone stepped into the room, staring sadly over all her things destroyed. "Oh... great."

"So, where the hell have you been?" he demanded, the sound of his voice making her jump, hand going to her chest.

"God, Doku! You scared me right out of my skin!"

"Answer the damn question, Yaone. Where were you?"

Blinking, startled by the commanding tone, she stepped over broken furniture and ripped clothing until she stood in front of him. Dokugakuji stood up, towering over her. Usually his height worked well to intimidate others. Not so with the healer. She was too used to looking up at him to let that trick work. Her jaw tightened, eyes setting resolutely. He knew that stubborn look, he'd seen her give it to Lirin a number of times. She wasn't going to talk.

"Damn it, Yaone! What's so important that you keep sneaking out like this? Why won't you tell me? We've got a situation here and you're off spreading yourself like-,"

"Don't finish that, Dokugakuji," she warned, anger rising. "You're angry and aren't being careful about your words. Don't say something you'll regret later."

He sighed, anger dying down a bit. Oh, he still wasn't going to let her go without telling him. But she had a point. If he'd finished, he would have regretted it terribly. "Look, I'm sorry. But we don't know where Kou or Lirin are. I was worried about you, you know."

Yaone glanced away, licking her lips nervously. "I needed to get away from here. I needed to... to hide."

Frowning, he noticed she was rubbing bandages over he wrist. In fact, both wrists were wrapped up. And she had some gauze on her neck, shoulders and chin, too. "Hey... what the hell did Zakuro do to you?"

The fact that she wouldn't say anything told him plain enough. The bastard had raped her! Maybe not physically, but it was still a rape. Without another word, he wrapped her in tight, hugging her to him. "I'll kill him, I swear I will."

She didn't say anything to that but wrapped her arms around his narrow waiste.

His eyes came open when he caught a familiar smell in her hair. Cigarette smoke? The fear tinged with anger came back at that and he pulled away, keeping his hands on her shoulders to stop her from bolting. "Yaone, please tell me where you've been?"

Yaone met his gaze and said with the firmness of ending the conversation, "Somewhere safe and away from _him_."

Dokugakuji sighed, squeezing her shoulders briefly. "Okay, fine. I'm letting you off just this LAST time because you're hurt. Just don't do anything stupid."

"Thank you, Doku."

>>>>>>>>>>

Eyes... couldn't see... why couldn't his eyes...

Kougaiji's eyes flew open, staring at the world through green fluid. His mind... something was happening...

Where was all this anger coming from? He had to control it! He had to keep it in place...

_Don't fight. Feels good. Let go._

No! He wanted to scream the word but couldn't. Something was blocking his mouth, his throat. A mask covered the bottom of his face, a tube was down his throat. And wires covered almost every inch of his body. Was he naked? No, they'd at least given him the descency of keeping his pants.

_Blood... want it... NEED it... kill something... must kill..._

STOP IT! He had more control than this. The bloodlust and insanity caused by the minus wave didn't effect him. He was Gyumaoh's son, he was immune to it's effects!

_Kill... kill... Sanzo... kill him..._

He didn't WANT to kill Sanzo! All he wanted was the sutra. That's all that was required! He squeezed his eyes tight, pushing the growing need to feel flesh rip open between his claws, feel the hot splash of blood run down his hands, cooling as it hit the floor with a wet plop. See eyes wide and filled with the fearful knowledge there would be no tomorrow. Eyes the color of purple irises. He wanted to see them slowly widen in shock before dropping closed forever.

_Yes... that's good... need THAT... need Sanzo dead..._

No!

_YES!_

Screaming, or trying to with the equipment in place, his vision was clouded with bubbles issuing from the mask. His hands tore at the wires attached to him, peeling off the stuff keeping them in place. He yanked the mask off, felt the burning in his throat as the tube was torn free. He had to get out of this tank! He had to get free, find Yaone and Dokugakuji. They'd help him, he knew they would! Gritting his teeth, he slammed his elbow through the fragile glass, spilling out with the green liquid onto the floor, leg catching on a broken shard and cutting open. Hissing in pain, he fought with himself to lick the blood from his fingers after examining the wound.

Slowly, Kougaji rose, stumbling over legs that were worse than jelly. Had to go somewhere to think... to clear his mind...

Mother.

That one word was his driving force. He had to get to his mother's tomb. His mother... She was a calming presence, pushing the bloodlust aside and replacing it with fond memories of her and him together. Summer days spent lazing around in her room. Watching her comb out her beautiful hair. Shuddering, leaning against the wall for a moment to catch his breath, Kougaiji let the happy thoughts take him away briefly.

He had to hurry. If they came back and found him gone... Kougaiji limped down the hall, trusting his instincts to propel him in the right direction. His thoughts were still calling for blood and death but he could manage them now. Just keep thinking about mother, he repeated over and over to himself.

He didn't know how he did it, but he was suddenly in front of the door. He shoved it open enough to squeeze through and then stumbled forward before falling to his hands and knees in front of her. Staring up the tall stone pillar, tears burned his eyes. "Mother..." Kougaiji placed a blood covered hand to the base of the tomb. He'd failed her. She'd given everything for him, even insisting to the gods that she be locked away more tightly that he. And he'd failed her.

"How did I know we'd find you here?" a voice purred from behind him.

Back tense, Kougaiji turned and saw red painted lips curl up in a malicious smile. And behind her... At the sight of the doctor, the bloodlust rose to knew heights, screaming the kill Genjyo Sanzo and to do it now. He clutched his hands over his ears, pressing together to try and squeeze thoughts that weren't his out. No, no, no, no, no...

_YES! **YES!**_

Fingers slid under his chin, tilting his head up. "These earrings... they're just like _hers_. I hate them!"

"No... DON'T TOUCH ME!" The fingers closed around the metal pieces and moved down, tearing the earrings with them.

>>>>>>>>>>

All of Houtu Castle stopped what they were doing at the blood curdling scream the echoed through corridors, right down to the dungeons themselves. Everyone heard the cry, but only two knew who it was making such a sound. Yaone and Dokugakuji both looked toward the door of her room, surprised. "Lord Kougaiji," she whispered fearfully, hand curling on her companion's arm.

>>>>>>>>>>

"He's late."

Hakkai paused in setting the table, startled by the first words out of Sanzo in almost three hours. In the background, Goku was tossing Hakuryuu up and down playfully, all the while chanting, "Hungry! Hungry!"

"Who, Gojyo?" he asked.

"No, the other perverted kappa traveling with us," Sanzo replied sarcastically, turning a page in the newspaper.

Ignoring the comment and smiling, Hakkai said, "I noticed that myself. I really hope he didn't get caught up in anything. Or with anyone for that matter."

"Hmph. I don't give a shit about him. I was wondering where my smokes are. This is the last one, and if he doesn't get back soon I'll make damn sure his face is too fucked up to enjoy one himself."

Laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his neck, he said, "Perhaps it's a sign you need to cut back? You were only about a pack a day when we first started this little journey and now you're almost as bad as Gojyo."

Goku sat up suddenly on the bed, missing Hakuryuu who couldn't catch himself in time and thudded on the bed. Hakkai scooped the squealing dragon up, petting him soothingly while giving Goku a stern glance. "Hey... I'm -Ow...OOF!"

The 'oof" followed Sanzo hitting him so hard with the fan he fell off the bed. "CAN IT! I'm not in the mood for your stupidity!"

"That was really uncalled for, you know! I can't help it if I'm hungry an' Gojyo's not back with food yet!"

Hakkai ignored the argument behind him when a knock came to the door. Hakuryuu flew free of his arms, going over and curling up on one of the empty beds. Opening the door, he paused when he saw a boy standing there, smiling up at him. Smiling kindly, he said, "Why, hello! Did you need something?"

Smile brightening, the boy replied, "You must be those guys. The bad people."

Hakkai frowned, his stomach churning. Something wasn't right about this kid... "What? You must be mistaken. We're not..." He jumped back as a large demonic presence filled in behind the boy, forcing him back into the room. Both Sanzo and Goku stopped arguing, eyes moving up and up... and up... their new guest.

"I foooound you," the little boy crooned.

All Hakkai had time for was a quick, "Oh, shit!" before the attack began.


	12. Chapter 12

What. The. FUCK!

Gojyo gaped at the macabre scene before him, hands shaking. What the... who... what the FUCK! Hakkai was sprawled on his back, eyes open and blank, glassy looking. _Like he's dead_. Goku had been flung across the room and had the same vacant expression. And Sanzo...

Sanzo was crumbled up against the bed, gun on the floor next to him, hand limp across his thigh.

Son of a bitch! What the hell happened? Who could have... after all the fights they'd been through... Mind reeling from the shock of coming back to find his friends dead, Gojyo stumbled into the room, not willing to believe it. _Not Hakkai... not any of them, but especially not Hakkai..._

A demonic presence behind him made him whirl around, shaku-jo appearing in his hand. He was about to swing it around, kill the bastard who did this... only to stop when he saw that kind, the one from the market. Behind him towered a huge black shape that vaguely resembled a youkai form. The boy was grinning, carrying something under his arm. "It's just like you said, mister. Those people were bad."

No fucking way! Gojyo's eyes widened as his words came back to slap him across the face like an outraged virgin. _A stupid monkey with a stomach for a brain, a monk with his habit wrapped just a little too tight, and a guy who nags you like your mom._ "Y-You... did this? But... you're just a..."

The boy looked up fully, and it was then he saw the youkai marking on his forehead. SHIT! The boy smiled angelically, patting the thing under his arm. "Now all those people you hate are gone. I got rid of them for you, to say thank you for helping me earlier."

This had to be some kind of sick joke. Hakkai wouldn't be above paying some brat to pretend to do kill them. He'd proved in the past what kind of twisted humor he had. This HAD to be a prank... but if this was a prank, why did he feel like puking all over the floor? Something about how utterly still everyone was told him this wasn't a sick joke, that everything the kid said was true. They were all...

"What the hell! You did all this? Goddamn it, I should have known you were a fucking assassin from Gyumaoh!" His hand clenched more surely around his weapon, the anger nearly ready to boil over. He should have guessed something wasn't right about this kid! Why hadn't he guessed it?

Blinking big pale gold eyes, the boy said, "Gyumaoh? Who's that? I've never heard-,"

"Cut the bullshit, kid! What the hell did you do to them?"

"W-Wait a second! You said you didn't-,"

There was a roar of sound and suddenly the big ugly one was in front of Gojyo. Gojyo stepped back, bracing himself for an attack. Fine, let the bastard come! He was just about to attack when...

"DON'T, GINKAKU! This man's not evil!"

Ginkaku... wasn't that the kid's...

**_BANG!_**

The monster screamed, clutching at his shoulder as blood arced back and out. Gojyo spun around at that familiar sound, eyes ready to pop right from his head. No WAY in hell... "S-Sanzo?"

"G-Goddamn... brat," the monk snarled, sitting forward, gun trained on the bigger one. "Think you can play the hero... by making us the bad guys?"

Holy SHIT! "Sanzo!"

"Wh-what... how are you awake? I was sure i finished you off!" The kid was beginning to look scared.

"Sanzo, are you okay?" Gojyo asked, still shocked. If the pain in the ass was awake, then maybe the others...

"Don't just assume someone's dead because they're not moving, moron," Sanzo continued, ignoring Gojyo completely.

The big youkai groaned, dropping to it's knees. The kid went over to it, hands gently exploring the neat little hole in it's shoulder. "Ginkaku, please be all right! Please, oh please..."

"Hey, kid!"

The boy wasn't the only one to turn wary eyes to the monk. Gojyo watched, hands relaxing around his weapon a little. He was just a kid trying to protect his brother. Not even Sanzo would be so heartless as to...

"What do you want, and where'd you get that gourd?" The soft click of a bullet sliding into the chamber made the tears fall faster from those eyes.

"B-But... I didn't DO anything! I was just..."

_I didn't DO anything..._ The words he'd said as a kid, to the mother who'd never loved him. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to suppress that familiar pain. He hadn't done anything, and she still wanted to see him dead. Turning back to the stand off, he hoped once again Sanzo wasn't so heartless as to kill a kid.

The larger youkai suddenly surged upward, scooping his brother up into his arms.

"Shit!" Gojyo saw Sanzo's finger start to pull down on the trigger. He was quicker, he knew he was, and he used this speed now to try and stop the crazy asshole. Grabbing the blonde's wrist, he aimed the gun upward just as it went off, shooting a hole into the ceiling. Pressing tendons together, he forced the frail human wrist open, the gun clattering to the floor and skidding out of reach.

"You goddamn piece of shit monk! You can't just shoot a kid like that," Gojyo shouted, knowing full well he was going to be catching hell and then some.

"Back the fuck off NOW!" Sanzo shouted, trying to use Gojyo's own weight against him to free his arm. They both dove to the side as the youkai carrying his brother surged toward them, using its shoulder to smash through the window behind them and part of the wall, plummeting down to the street below before running off into the night. Sanzo ran for the window, teeth clenched fit to crack.

Gojyo stood his ground as the irate monk came back over to him. He was really in for it now! He waited for the usual verbal assault.

And instead got punched right across the cheek hard enough for his teeth to cut into flesh and spill metalic-sweet blood on his tongue. FUCK! The pain was instant and sharp, a welcoming break to push the memories back where they belonged again. He was lucky, he knew, that he only got punched. Sanzo was angrier than he'd ever seen him before.

"Don't you DARE judge me, asshole," the monk snarled, voice very carefully controled in a low tone. He knew Sanzo wanted to shout at him, beat him until he resembled fuzzy pudding, hell just make him hurt anyway possible. The fact that he was restraining himself made Gojyo sneak a glance out of the corner of his eye at the shaking figure before him. "In case you forgot, HE attacked US! I don't care if he is a kid, the fact remains he got in our way."

Cheeks turning pink a little, Gojyo mumbled, "Sorry." The bastard had a point, as was usually the case. Where Gojyo had hesitated, Sanzo hadn't. He still kept in mind what exactly their mission was, even when staring at a kid down the barrel of a gun. He'd never admit it outloud, but sometimes he wished he was as cold and removed as the monk. Maybe then he wouldn't keep getting bitch slapped by unhappy memories.

There was a silence where neither spoke. Finally, Sanzo moved, uprighting a chair to sit in. "So, start talking. And give me a cigarette."

Gojyo let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding and pulled his own chair up to the cracked but still standing table. He pulled out his pack, lit one up for himself and then passed both the pack and lighter over to Sanzo. "Man... I don't even know where to start."

"Let's begin with what that kid said. He said this is what you wanted. Is that true?"

Raking his fingers through his long hair, Gojyo braced himself to explain the conversation. This felt so much like getting lectured by his older brother! Never again would he complain about Hakkai's nagging. At least THAT was because the green-eyed man was concerned for him. This was just because he'd given the prick an excuse to treat him like an idiot! "Well, it started out in the market place..."

>>>>>>>>>>

"So... you really are leaving."

Dokugakuji stopped packing his small bag, turning just enough to glance over his shoulder at Yaone standing in the doorway. "It's not like I want to," he answered dismally. The orders had come that morning. He was to lead a team and find a sutra or else. The or else wasn't actually stated in the order, but heavily implied. Gyokumen Koushu... what a bitch!

"I see."

He stopped again, getting frustrated. "Damn it, Yaone, stop acting like I'm abandoning you! I'm going to be back as soon as I get a sutra. If I don't get one..."

Her arms came around his waist, cheek to his back. He hadn't even heard her come up behind him. "I know. Just... be careful, please. And please don't do anything stupid."

He couldn't help smiling as she threw the words he'd said to her a few days ago back at him. Patting the hands folded above his belt, he said, "Okay, I promise."

Satisfied, she drew back only to reach around and shove a small pack into his bag. "Deserts are known for scorpions, so there's an antidote for scorpion poison. And I also included aloe pulp for sunburn, as well as vitamins to put in the water and..."

"Shit... you really know how to spoil a guy. Scorpion antidote and vitamins, huh? Are they labeled? Clearly and not in Latin?"

She laughed softly and nodded. "Yes. I was very of who I was giving this to when getting it ready. It's simple enough, I should think."

Dokugakuji grinned and gave her a quick hug. "Smart ass! Looks like I'm set. Do me a favor while I'm out?"

"Yes?"

"Try and find out how Kou's doing, okay?"

Yaone nodded again, the earlier laughter fading quickly from her face. "I will, I promise."

He wanted to add _no sneaking off_ to the list, but didn't because he knew she'd be angry with him. He didn't want to leave with her pissed at him, especially if things didn't go as planned. Sighing, he finished closing his bag, shouldering it. "Shouldn't be too long. We'll see, though. Be safe, Yaone."

"Is that your fancy way of saying goodbye?" she called after him as he began to leave.

Dokugakuji paused in the doorway, smiling, and said, "Goodbye is something you say to the dying and dead. I'm coming back, Yaone." He left before she could respond to that.

>>>>>>>>>>

Stupid Gojjyo.

Stupid FUCKING Gojyo.

Sanzo blew out a stream of smoke, pleased with the addition of 'fuck' in the statement. The red head really was no better than a waste of flesh. It was just typical his bullshit was the cause of yet ANOTHER distraction! The whole thing with the kid sucking out Hakkai's and Goku's souls, the fight at the inn... the fact they were now traveling in the dark forest after the bastards with the gourd. Why the three aspects would choose HIM over someone a little smarter (Like a door mate. A door mat had more wits than the kappa... and was more useful, too) was beyond him. The only thing even remotely good about the situation was the fact that he'd kept his damned stupid mouth quiet! Maybe he wasn't as dumb as he looked.

"Hey, I wanna ask you something."

Trying not to bite down on his cigarette, Sanzo muttered, "Then ask." So much for keeping his fucking mouth shut... as well as the whole not being dumb thing.

"Do you even know where the fuck we're going?"

"No." The forest was huge, offering plenty of places for that large ugly fucker to hide. But they were attacking people in the village and on the roadway, which meant they would probably stay close to it. All they had to do was follow the road, be on the look out for any demonic aura they sensed and they'd hit gold.

"You son of a... You mean we're dragging our asses up this goddamn mountain and we don't even know where the fuck we're going?" Gojyo ground out.

"Put those antennae to use for a change then if you don't like it."

"They are NOT antennae, you piece of shit monk!"

"Dumb bastard."

"Arrogant prick!"

This was getting dangerously too close to sounding like a Goku-Gojyo arguement for Sanzo's taste. Stopping on the side of the road, he stubbed out the remains of his cigarette. Gojyo sat down on the ground next to him, pulling his knees up to rest his arms on. 'Well, since your holy ass isn't getting us anywhere, maybe we should think a bit on this. It's stupid wandering around like this with no fucking clue where we're going."

"Wow. So there IS a little more than hot air blowing through your ears," Sanzo muttered, leaning back against the tree to ease his sore feet. Gojyo owed him more than his life was worth for all this bullshit!

"Suck my ass, priest!"

"Gods, no. I'd rather chew my own arm off."

Growling wordlessly, Gojyo thunked his head back against the tree, turning a crimson glare up at him. "Of all the bastards in all the world... it had to be you I get stuck with."

This was getting really annoying! Sanzo pulled out another cigarette to calm himself down from wanting to kill the kappa right then and there. After a couple of drags, he said, "So, think. What do you know about this kid?"

"He's an orphan...," Gojyo began slowly, eyes screwed tightly closed as he thought about it. "Um... he has a younger brother... that's about it."

"A younger brother?" Where was the brother then?

"Yeah, they're real close or something."

So, he was still alive. Sanzo blew out a stream of smoke slowly, eyes narrowing. There were two of them, both alive. So where was the younger one then? Unless... "He called the ugly one by a name. Ginkaku."

He felt more than saw Gojyo's shock. He was trying his best not to even glance at the red-head in case the little fantasy of blowing his brains out decided to come true. "Wait... are you saying...?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to. Just think about it for a bit, dumb ass."

Gojyo was silent for a while, staring up into the leaves. Sanzo was beginning to wonder just how dumb he was until... "They look nothing alike, though."

"That's a pretty tacky decoration, your head."

"Fuck you."

"I refuse. I never said he was born like that. He could have been transformed."

Gojyo pulled out his own cigarettes, pausing to light up before he spoke again. "You don't sound too worried about that. You really are a heartless prick. Why would anyone do that to a kid?"

"Who says I'm not worried about it?" What was with everyone thinking him incapable of emotion? Gods, sometimes he wondered why he even bothered! "But on the scale of concerns, it falls pretty low. What really bothers me is the other one's crusade against evil. Sounds to me like someone force fed it to him. Everything, from the transformation to his attitude, point to someone else pulling the strings."

"Like God."

This time he did look at the kappa. God? Just where the hell did that come from? It wasn't like Gojyo to get all theological. Usually if Sanzo and Hakkai started into something like this, he'd groan and make such a scene they'd stop so they didn't have to hear it. "Come again?"

"Now that I think about it," Gojyo continued, staring ahead into the bushes with a distant look on his face. "He said he had Kami-Sama on his side."

Kami-Sama? He'd heard of religious zealots, even pissed a few off just for shits and giggles, but this was something different. This kid was going after 'evil' people believing God was on his side. How terribly naive. He was about to say just that when the hairs on the back of his neck pricked up, his skin crawling. Demon auras. In the trees above them. Shit... the kid's attack, those rednecks at the bar... and now youkai asassins. This was totally and completely Gojyo's fault!

Gojyo stood up slowly, slinging an arm around his shoulders and giving him a lewd smile. The balls on this one were ridiculous! "Let's blow this place, Sanzo. I think we've got some voyeurists."

Slapping the offensive arm off of him, Sanzo snarled, "No shit, genius!" Pulling his gun he aimed it in the direction the presence was coming from. "Who the hell's up there?"

A cackling laugh came from the leaves. Great, another cackler. Someone really needed to teach these guys how to switch up their evil laughter. "What luck! There's only two of you. We're gonna be laughing as we send you to hell, Genjyo Sanzo and Sha Gojyo."

"Hey, look, asassins! Rotten timing, huh?" Then, shouting up to the figures on the branches, Gojyo continued, "Any of you up there female and looking for a good fuck?"

Teeth snapping closed hard enough to actually hurt, Sanzo bit out, "I am seriously going to kill you, kappa!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're such a tease."

There were muttered whispers from above as Gojyo's words were passed down the line. "Is femmy looking alright?" some smart ass from the back shouted. A few groans followed that. Gyumaoh's people really weren't too picky in the brains department. He could just imagine the sign advertising for assassins now: **Anyone with a death wish and little to no understanding of what a death wish actually is, sign here**. This was going to be a snap.

"Grr... Stop it! We're here to kill them, not play with them! Attack!"

Sanzo spun around as three dropped from the trees, clicking the safety off and sighting down the barrel for their chests. His free hand was already reaching for more bullets as he pulled the trigger. "And my point is proven. You really are a fucking curse!"

>>>>>>>>>>

"Well, this sucks!"

Hakkai stared around the empty wasteland, hands on his hips. Yes, this most definately sucked. No sign of exit, no idea how he even got in here. The only idea that came to mind was that they'd died. Strange, he didn't feel dead. He felt sort of like he just wasn't in his own body, odd as that may sound. Goku was still out cold on the sandy ground, not even three feet away from a pile of bones. How the boy could sleep through all of this was nothing short of a miracle. Still, he didn't really feel like dragging Goku around while he tried to find a way out. Sighing, he knelt down, shaking Goku as hard as he could. Months of shaking him gently had proven the act was futile. There was no gentle way of waking Goku up.

"Mn... Hakkai?" Large dark golden eyes blinked up at him, confused for a bit.

"Thank goodness you're alright, Goku," he said, laughing. It wasn't that it was funny or anything. Laughing when he was nervous or trying not to be scared was a habit of his.

"Is it breakfast?" the boy continued hopefully, still blissfully unaware of their surroundings.

"How I wish it was." Goku finally began to look around, eye squinting as he took in all the sand littered with bony remains.

"HUH? Wh-what the hell happened? Where are we?" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet.

Hakkai got to his feet as well, dusting his hands off of the sand particles. "Well, the last thing I remember is that boy attacking us. And then we were here."

Goku turned to look at him slowly, the look in his eyes clearly saying he was still processing this information. "So... what, you think we're...?"

"You know, I always knew we wouldn't make it to heaven. But if this is hell, I'm very disappointed."

"WHAT? How can you be disappointed? It's HELL!"

"True but it's just so... dull. Not even a brimstone pit to break up the monotony."

He didn't expect Goku to understand fully what he meant, which is why the confused, "Huh?" wasn't really surprising.

"I'm sorry, Goku, but I think we died."

Goku's eyes filled with big watery tears that threatened to break at any minute. "But... they still let you EAT in hell... right? I mean, we still get seven meals a day, right?"

Laughing again and rubbing the back of his neck, he said, "God, I hope not! I don't think I could stand that kind of torture."

"Then I'll take it for you!"

Smiling at the boy's upbeat attitude, he looked around again, trying to find a seam, a whole... anything that looked out of place in the desert valley. "All joking aside, Goku, do you _feel_ dead?"

Frowning, Goku ran hands down his body and up over his face. "No... not really. I mean, that WAS a pretty lame attack. Nothin' that sissy woulda killed me!"

"That's what I thought." Still, it was odd they were the only two here. He would have expected at least Sanzo for sure to join them in hell, despite his holy title.

"Hey... where's Sanzo? Hakkai, Sanzo's not here!" Goku looked around once more before he began to dig frantically in the sand, searching desperately for his guardian somewhere underneath. In Goku's mind, it made perfectly logical sense. If he couldn't see Sanzo above ground, he had to be under it. Hakkai once again thought how nice it must be to have everything so easily solved.

Yes, a good question though. Gojyo wasn't in the room, so he knew for a fact the red-head had escaped death yet again. "Sanzo seemed to be just fine before I blacked out," he mused out loud, as much for his benefit as for Goku's. "So, I'd say it's fairly safe to assume he's still alive.

"Oh. That's not good."

The response was not at all what he'd expected from the brunette. "Excuse me?" He would have though Goku to be happy Sanzo was still alive.

"Well, we can't die before him, can we? An' leave him all alone up there?"

Oh, good God, he hand't thought of that! Gojyo and Sanzo... alone... with each other. The sexaholic and the sociopath on the road together. They'd end up in jail... or at each other's throats... or WORSE! "Oh, dear... you're right, Goku, this isn't acceptable at all. There's only one thing to do and that's find a way out of here."

"WOOHOO! Let's go, let's go!"

Hakkai and Goku began walking off, Hakkai looking from side to side for possible danger or an exit, Goku singing to himself about finding Sanzo and beating up Gojyo. At least he had is priorities straight! Looking around their location again to memorize the details of the place just in case they walked in circles, he also took another look to see if MAYBE there might be something like an exit as well. "Hm... I wonder if there _is_ an exit," he said, talking more to himself than to Goku.

"I can't see nothin' out there," Goku mumbled, kicking the hard packed sand irritably.

"Anything."

"Huh?"

"It should be 'I can't see _anything_ out there', not nothing," Hakkai corrected automatically.

"Oh... right." Goku continued to kick at the hard ground, trusting Hakkai to get them out of this.

Both whirled around as the ground broke with a loud crack, exposing a blackened hand from inside. It slapped down on the ground, trying to pull a shoulder and head through the small hole and failing. As if things weren't weird enough!

"EWW! What is that?" Goku demanded, backing away from another hand breaking free. Two more popped up behind them and Hakkai could see three more to his right. A few shoulders broke loose, followed soon by heads, torsos and waists. All of them were blackend, more like shadows than rotting corpses, and none had faces. Curiouser and curiouser...

"It would seem they're hell's welcoming committee," he explained as six more started rising on his side alone. He'd lost track of how many were surfacing on Goku's

A small smile graced the boy's lips, followed by a familiar challenging gleam to his eyes. His nyoi-bo appeared in his hand. "Then I guess we better say hello," he replied as the circle of people around them grew a little fuller and closer.

Smiling as well, Hakkai formed his chi into a ball resting on the palm of his hand, waiting for the attack to come. "It would be rude not to, of course." His wrist flicked forward as the first dozen or so ran at them in a wordless, soundless rush of malice.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone rolled over in bed, staring at the wall, wide awake. The only light in the room came from the candle by her bed that she left burning all night long. She hated when it was so completely dark in her room that all she could see were shadowy shapes against an even darker background. Before, when she'd first entered Kougaiji's service, she would leave the heavy wooden doors to the balcony open to catch the moonlight. She'd stopped it when she found someone standing in the entrance, watching her. Kougaiji had tracked down the youkai who did it and made him pay for spying on her, but it still didn't change the fact that someone had been up there.

Rolling back over onto her back, she sighed, pushing her hair off of her forehead. Being all alone sucked! Dokugakuji was gone, Kougaiji was missing and finding Sanzo was not an option right now. This was so frustrating! She sat up, hit her pillow a couple times and fell back in it, glaring at the ceiling. _Insomnia is such a beautiful thing_, she though sarcastically. It wasn't like she would get much piece when she slept either though. Every since Dokugakuji left three days ago, her dreams had been... odd, to put it mildly. Disturbing was a little closer to the point.

The first night, she'd had to watch as a useless bystander as Dokugakuji was taken out into the forest and executed. The executioner had been Dr. Nii, standing over his corpse with a bloodied axe in his hand. His glasses had been sprayed with blood, and still he continued to smile and smoke his cigarette. She'd gone back to sleep after that with a big knot of worry eating at her stomach.

Then there was that awful one about fumbling through the dark toward a rhythmic creaking sound. All she'd known was that she had to find that noise, that it was very important. She'd found it when she walked into it... and discovered it was Kougaiji with a rope around his neck, hanging from a support beam in her room. She had a clear shot of that beam from her bed now and it was adding to her current unease.

The worst was last night's. She'd actually woken up screaming from that one. Yaone closed her eyes, rolling over onto her side again. The start to that one had actually been very pleasant. Sanzo stretched out on top of her, kissing down her throat. His hands a LOT lower down her body than his mouth. Her hands running down his back to his ass, pulling him closer. It had been one of those dreams that felt very real. And very arousing. But all that shattered when his body had tensed up. He'd pulled away from her looking shocked and then... blood began to flow down his chest, seeping from between his lips. Yaone had watched as he'd fallen back onto the sheets, staining them a deep red as he lay dying. She had tried to move to help him but was being held down by some unknown force. And then... Zakuro's laughter. She'd woken up with it still wringing inside her head.

Yaone shivered, fingers curling around the sheets tightly. Him! Almost as soon as Dokugakuji left, he'd started hanging around a lot more. She'd just finished somewhat restoring order to her lab and was locking it up behind her when she'd turned and found him standing an uncomfortably short distance behind her. He didn't touch her, he didn't say a word even. He was just... there. And this evening, Gyokumen Koushu had ordered a feast to celebrate. She never said what they were celebrating, but if Lady Koushu wanted a feast, then there would be a feast. Complete with mandatory attendance, of course. She'd just taken her seat next to Lixue (Dokugakuji's sometimes lover and about the only person still there whom she considered a friend) when Zakuro had sat down next to her. Again, not a word was spoken, but if any other man tried to speak to either woman, he would glare at them until they got the point and left.

What was _wrong_ with him? Why wouldn't he just leave her alone? She wasn't all THAT attractive, especially when compared to some of the more noble youkai women. He could have his pick of any of them... so why her? She was truly hoping it was nothing more than Zakuro being an asshole and not some deep seated infatuation. If it _was_ his idea of flirting, she knew a couple potions that would knock the idea right out of him, and fast. She smiled at the thought of slipping him a little poison. There was one that didn't have a taste and only a faintly metalic smell... of course, if it were mixed with a red wine it wouldn't be as noticeable...

A soft knock came to her door. Yaone frowned sitting up. She'd put new locks on the door after the break in to keep anyone out. "Who is it?"

"Just me, Yaone," Lixue's soft voice called.

Grabbing a robe to put on over her night gown, she undid the three locks and opened the door.

Lixue's silver eyes widened at the added security. "Has it really been that bad with you?" she whispered.

Yaone frowned when a high pitch sound echoed down the halls. "Yes, sad to say. Lixue, what's that noise?"

The other woman beckoned her to follow, a grave look coming to her face. Together, they crept through the darkened halls, staying close together. It wasn't until they reached the stairs going to the laboratory level of the castle that they stopped. Motioning closer, Lixue pointed down the stairs, pressing her lips very close to Yaone's ear so that the sound of her whisper didn't carry down. "I woke up when I heard a commotion in the hall way. They were fighting to get someone back down here. The person's face was covered in a black sack, so I didn't see who. But judging from the build, I would say it was Prince Kougaiji. Shortly after they got him down there, the sound started."

Yaone's heart sped up dramatically. Kougaiji was in the lab? She knew the medical wing was on the ground floor and off in the eastern wing. This led down to the dungeons and the lab. Why was he there? Nodding her thanks, they snuck back the way they'd come, Lixue returning to her own room and leaving Yaone to walk back to her room all alone.

Lord Kougaiji was in the lab. Dr. Nii was doing something to him. It didn't surprise her in the least that the man had lied to Dokugakuji. He'd said he would make Kougaiji 'better', but he'd never said how. She had to find someway of getting down there. Or seeing Kougaiji. But how... The security around the lab and the medical wing had doubled since she and Dokugakuji had tried breaking in. Sighing, exhausted from the lack of sleep, Yaone pushed her door open, prepared to get a good rest and ponder the matter a little more in the morning. She froze in her tracks when she saw someone was in her room. Or, to be more precise, in her bed.

Zakuro smiled, stretched out and fully clothed (thank God!) on her bed. He idly ran a claw along a crease in the sheets, legs from the knees down hanging over the edge. "So this is what your bed looks like. I was very curious after our first encounter. And seeing as you left your door open... well, what man would refuse an invitation like that?"

Her door... shit, she'd forgotten to lock it when she'd gone with Lixue! Covering her eyes, she mentally kicked herself a couple times for not doing that simple thing. And now here was the result of that stupidity. "Please leave. You're not welcome here."

"Aw... now you've hurt my feelings. Why don't you join me for a bit? I'm sure I can make it worth your time."

"Anything involving you is not worth my time. Get out."

Zakuro chuckled but remained where he was. Damn it, what did she have to do, beat it into him? As much as she wanted to see him bleeding on the floor, the fact that it meant she'd have to get closer and TOUCH him made her stay where she was.

"My mistress is quite pleased with me, you know," he continued, ignoring her.

"Oh, how lovely for you. Perhaps you should find someone who actually gives a damn." Think, Yaone, think...Her eyes went over the room, trying to find some idea of how to get him to go away.

"In fact, she's giving me a title. Lord Zakuro... it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

She ignored him, eyes resting on the bottle of sake sitting on table. Her herbs... she spotted them further in, on another table used for crushing them. Okay, so far so good. Now how to get to the two spots without making him suspicious...

"As a lord, I very well could, you know."

Yaone stopped, blinking. She'd missed part of that conversation. "I missed that."

Zakuro's smile grew decidedly more wicked. "I said, as a lord it's within my rights to order in you bed with me."

"Excuse me?" Was he being serious about this? He couldn't be! He had to be completely insane to even _think_ about ordering something like that. Especially with as possessive as Gyokumen Koushu was. It wouldn't just result in Yaone losing her head, but Zakuro would lose his... 'head' as well.

"I really don't want to repeat myself again, Yaone. Play nice now and join me." He patted a spot next to him on the bed, eyes moving down her body without any bother to conceal the lust. His legs shifted a bit, trying to draw her attention to his groin. Oh, dear God...

She couldn't deal with this. She was tired, she was worried sick and now she was pissed off. Yaone shook her head in disbelief and walked out. Lixue would understand her sleeping in her room for the evening.

Zakuro followed after her, laughing. "Are you so afraid of me? Am I so intimidating that you can't stand to be in my presence? Or is it that you're a virgin?"

"It's more the fact you make me sick, Zakuro. I can think of at least a hundred things I'd rather do than you! And your arrogance is absolutely staggering! Go take a cold shower and leave me alone."

"You can't speak to me like that," he screamed, quickening his step. "I am a-,"

"You've told me I think three times now, and I'm still not impressed. And until you show me legal documentation, which has to be approved by one of the royal family, which Lady Koushu is NOT, stating that you've been titled, I don't want to hear it again!" Yaone knocked sharply on the door. Unlike Zakuro, Lixue _was_ a blooded noble. She'd taken over when her father had been killed in the last campagne. Unfortunately, though, her father and the people who looked to him as their lord sided with Gyumaoh. Lixue wasn't happy about it, but she was an excellent politician and leader first. The good thing about it though was that she was respected in Houtu Castle, even by Gykoumen Koushu to a certain extent. And Yaone knew the silvered eyed woman wasn't afraid to throw that around when needed.

Zakuro's palm slammed into the wall by her head. She refused to turn around and face him. She yanked her arm away when he grabbed it, his claws cutting her skin open deep enough for the scratches to bleed. "Listen to me, bitch, I WILL have you! I will fuck you until you scream MY name and the eyes you see aren't his but MINE. I am going to fuck him right out of you, do you understand me?"

"I understand you, but you can stop blowing hot air up your ass. I'm not interested in little boys pretending to be lords." She knew she'd pushed him too far when he grabbed her hair, yanking her back against him. She closed her eyes tightly, unwilling to look into his eyes again. Not again, she wouldn't EVER make that mistake again with this one!

Lixue chose that moment to open the door. Crossing her arms over her small breasts, she arched a dark brow, head held high and proud. "Excuse me, Zakuro, but I think you've had enough fun for one evening. Go back to your mistress' room like a good little lap dog and leave Yaone alone."

"You dare to speak to me like that?" he threatened, hand tightening to the point where Yaone had to fight not to cry out loud.

Silver eyes flashing dangerously, Lixue took a menacing step closer. For someone as tall and thinly built as her, she certainly exuded an intimidating amount of power. "Yes. I do. And if you don't like it, I'm sure we can address it with Gyokumen Koushu right now. She won't be too pleased that her northern allies are marching out because of a lowly servant's rudeness."

Snarling, Zakuro shoved Yaone in Lixue's direction. "This is far from over!" He stalked off quickly before Lixue could call the guard she kept ready at all times.

Shaking her head and draping a tanned arm around Yaone's shoulders, she said, "Come on, there's enough room in this bed for two. What on earth did you do to Zakuro?"

"I didn't do anything," Yaone argued, sitting on the bed while Lixue brought over some water for the both of them. "I went back to my room to find him spread out on my bed like he's God's gift... and this happened!"

"Well, until that little display, I could have sworn he was gay," Lixue said, sitting down on the other side of the bed. Sighing, she pulled the covers over herself, turning onto her side. "You'll be safe for tonight, though, so try and get a little rest."

"Thank you." Yaone got under the blankets as well, stretching out on her back.

"Yaone?"

"Hm?"

"I heard Zakuro talking about a man. Are you seeing someone?"

Yaone rolled onto her side away from the other woman. "Goodnight, Lixue."

>>>>>>>>>>

AUTHOR'S NOTE/APOLOGY: Okay, so I had to pull the original chapter 12. Why? Because I decided to go back and read volume 9 just to get ahead of this thing here... and found that the time line was all kinds of screwed up. SO, I erased a healthy chunk, wrote and even more healthy chunk, and this is the result to all this healthiness. I do apologize to anyone who read Old Chapter 12 and also to anyone who DIDN'T read it. At least I caught the mistake, right?


	13. Chapter 13

Sanzo calmly reloaded his gun as the last of the youkai sat shivering in front of him, eyes ready to explode in fear. Gojyo was already cleaning his shakujo off on the ragged remains of a shirt, whistling casually. So damn annoying... If it weren't for the fact that Hakkai would most likely get pissed and leave, taking Hakuryuu with him, he would have killed the red-head as well.

"H-How did you... how COULD you...?"

Glancing over at the youkai as the chamber snapped shut, Sanzo aimed the gun right dead center of his chest. "That was ten minutes of my busy life wasted. It's going to cost you."

"You really underestimated us, pal," Gojyo drawled, strolling over with a cigarette already hanging from his lips. "You should know by now that two of us is enough to kick your collective asses any day."

"What's this 'us' you're talking about? I killed twice as many as you," Sanzo argued. That figure might not be entirely accurate but the remains from the banishing gun had already disintegrated into ash so there was no way of really proving the exact number.

As he expected, Gojyo fought back. "Just where the fuck do you get off saying THAT?"

Sanzo spared a glare for the red-head. "I only call it like I see it. You were too busy twirling around that baton of yours to do some real fighting."

"REAL fighting? Excuse me, Mr. I'm-too-fucking-lazy-to-do-more-than-pull-a-trigger! And don't you EVER say I use a baton again! That's your goddamn monkey, not me!"

"Can I help it if you looked like a fucking- ugh!" Sanzo's breath left in a great rush as the youkai bowled into him, the momentum and force lifting him clear off his feet. Mother fucking sonufabitch! That goddamn youkai! He had enough time to glance over his shoulder before they went bowling over the cliff. "Fucking HELL!"

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku looked over his shoulder before turning to Hakkai, lungs working over time as they continued to run from those yucky Dead Dudes. "Hey, Hakkai? I think they're goin' away now."

Hakkai turned back as well, slowing down a little. "So... it would... seem," he gasped out, leaning forward with his hands on his knees.

Goku flopped onto the hard ground, hand on his stomach as he sucked the air in greedily. Sanzo always said to take slow breaths after running. He tried to do as he was told, taking it in through his nose and out through his mouth. He hoped Sanzo was okay. If that pervy water sprite did anything to Sanzo... All the more reason to hurry up and get un-dead. He didn't trust Gojyo not to piss Sanzo off or something equally stupid! "So... what's the plan?"

"Plan? Oh... uh..." Hakkai trailed off in laughter. THAT wasn't good! "For now... catching our breath and continuing our search for an exit."

He couldn't help giving Hakkai a shocked face. That was the plan? Usually Hakkai had something really smart planned out. He was thinking badly today! They had to get back to Sanzo, and fast. It wasn't fair that he died before Sanzo. It wasn't fair at all! Getting to his feet, Goku twisted his neck from side to side. "Okay, let's get goin' then!"

"Huh? Are you seriously ready?"

Nodding enthusiastically and ignoring the pain shooting up his legs and in his side, Goku began walking without Hakkai. Sanzo was what was important, not his pain or Hakkai or even beating the shit outta the Dead Dudes. Finding Sanzo was what mattered right now. Hakkai fell into step beside him, one hand going to the scar Goku knew was there but wasn't allowed to ask about. He'd tried once but Sanzo had smacked him in the head.

Goku froze, a hand going to his chest. This feeling... it wasn't his. He felt like he was falling and he was angry and a little scared. There was only one other person who would think inside his head besides himself. Sanzo...

_Not like this... no way in hell... not... this... damn..._

He could hear Hakkai asking him what was wrong, but he couldn't answer. Those weren't his thoughts, although they kind of echoed what he'd said earlier. A sudden feeling of dread swarmed through him in connection with those words. Sanzo... it had to do with Sanzo. Something bad was happening. Or maybe it wasn't Sanzo? He wasn't even sure right then. He was plenty worried for himself and Hakkai. Maybe that was it... he glanced over at Hakkai when the man put a comforting hand to his shoulder.

"Goku, what's wrong?"

"I got a bad feeling," he mumbled.

"A bad feeling?" Hakkai pressed, eyebrows furrowing.

"Yeah... it's REALLY bad, Hakkai."

"Do you think it's for us?"

Goku shook his head, trying to get those words to stop swimming in his head. "I dunno. But we've gotta get back! We've gotta! What if Sanzo and Gojyo are in trouble?"

Hakkai knelt before him, a little lower than eye level but still enough to make eye contact better. "Calm down, Goku," he said gently, giving him a warm smile. "I know how you feel, I'm just as worried as you are. But we still don't know what's going on. We need to think this through before rushing into anything."

Once again, Goku felt that warm, happy feeling come over him. It chased out the dread and fear quickly, almos tlike it hadn't even been there to begin with. He couldn't hear Sanzo cussing anymore. This feeling... It always came when Hakkai was like this. Sometimes, he thought he liked Hakkai the most out of all of them... but then he'd think about Sanzo and everything the monk had done for him and that thought would go right out of his head. Despite everything, Sanzo really was his favorite! "Sorry, Hakkai."

"Don't be sorry! I'm the one running my mouth. I should apologize to you." Hakkai smiled and stood up again, ruffling Goku's hair. Hakkai was the only one he didn't mind doing that. Not even Sanzo could... not like he would anyway though.

"You're always so nice to me, Hakkai," Goku said, grinning. "I'm kinda glad I'm dead with you... even IF it's kinda stupid we died from such a dumb attack!"

"Goku..."

Whatever the green-eyed man was about to say was cut off as the ground began to shake and tilt around them, great slabs of rock creaking as the broke free from the dry surface. "What the hell? Is this an earthquake?"

Steam broke free from gouges in the ground. The ground continued to shake and swya under their feet. Both their eyes followed the new shape emerging from below, towering up over them and giving them the first bit of shade theyd had all day. "Holy shit," Goku shouted, eyes bulging. There was no way that dude was a good guy! First, he was too ugly. Second, he was putting off way too much evil aura! "What the heck is he?"

"I'm guessing he's our exit," Hakkai laughed.

"Our exit?" Huh? How was this guy their exit? Goku blinked, still watching the new bad guy while waiting for Hakkai to tell him how there was a door anywhere ON that guy!

"Yes. We destroy him, we get out."

Oh... that didn't sound too bad! Goku immediately took it back as a giant hand came smashing down toward him, clipping at his heels. He quickly grabbed a skull lying nearby and threw it agains the enormous head. "Take that, ya freak!" The Big Ugly Guy dodged it easily and took a menacing step closer to them.

Goku scurried to Hakkai's side. "That was kinda shitty," he said, keeping all his attention focused on their opponent.

"This is only a guess, but seeing as he's wearing that same awful black spandex as his smaller friends, it may be that a direct attack isn't the way to go. We need to get him in one blow."

One blow? Was he CRAZY? "There is NO WAY I can do that! What about you? Can you use your chi?"

Hakkai let out a startled laugh. "Are you kidding? He's too big for that!"

They rolled to the side as another giant hand slapped down on the ground, breaking right through it. Goku summoned his nyoi-bo and got in a couple blows before he had to beat a hasty retreat. He made his way back to Hakkai, all the while trying to think how he could get the guy in one shot. He glanced up when Hakkai sighed and moved away from him, closer to that thing. "Hakkai, what are you doin'?"

"I've got this one. Goku, please stand back and stay back. If you get too close... I might accidentally kill you."

Goku gulped and ran for cover behind the bones of some animal. Peeking between rib bones, his eyes widened even further when Hakkai slowly plucked the cuffs from his ear. There was a moment where he fell to his knees, back arching over so that he was almost on the ground. A deep red glow began to form around him... Goku gulped again when Hakkai rose, deadly sharp claws coming from his finger tips. A vine pattern circled around his hands a wrists, showing through when his shirt was lifted in a breeze caused by his own power. And speaking fo power... he'd never felt an aura quite like this before! It was nothing but violence, pure and simple. And it was scary as hell! He cowered down as far as he could behind the bones and closed his eyes when Hakkai began his attack.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone took a deep, calming breath before pushing the doors open just enough to slip inside. She subconsciously smoothed a wrinkle from her green dress, carefully not looking above the third step leading up to the stone throne of Gyumaoh. Gyokumen Koushu sat there, one pale white leg flashing free of her loosely fitting dress. Dr. Nii stood behind her, as always with his stuffed rabbit. When she was the allowed eight feet distance from the first steps, she bowed and stayed in that position until Lady Koushu acknowledged her.

That didn't happen for five minutes. Yaone's back was aching by the time Lady Koushu finally got bored with her nails enough to see her. "Well? What do you want?"

"Lady Gyokumen Koushu," she began as quickly as she dared without seeming rude. She desperately wanted to get this interview done and over with! "I was wondering about Lord Kougaiji's health."

"How should I know?" she snapped. "Dr. Nii, how is our dear prince?" The way she said it turned the affectionate term into something vile and disgusting.

"He's recovering remarkably well," Dr. Nii drawled. It always felt like the man was laughing at her! She could just make out his hand rubbing between the rabbit's legs. Dear God... not another pervert! "There was a minor... infection... but it was taken care of quickly enough."

"There. You have your answer," Lady Koushu said firmly.

This was going to be the dangerous part. Not even daring to breathe, Yaone added, "Might I see him myself, Lady Koushu? Just to see him?"

"Why, afaid he's off fucking some other servant?"

Wincing at the venemous comment, she added, "No, Lady Koushu. I was only curious, that's all."

"Curiousity will get you killed. Remember that the next time you go poking around in unauthorized places," the older woman spat back, clearly using that as a dismissal.

Yaone bit her lower lip and stood her ground. It took all her strength not to bolt for the door. She knew how dangerous it was to ignore the obvious order to leave. The reminders of such insolence were placed on spikes out in front of the castle. "Lady Koushu, as Prince Kougaiji's personal healer, I-"

"Didn't you hear a word that was said?" Lady Koushu demanded, voice rising. Yaone could feel the prickle of her calling some magic to the room. This wasn't going to be good. "Kougaiji is being taken care of by Dr. Nii! You will not see him, you will not speak to him and you will not speak to ME about this matter again! And if you ever break into a secured area again, Zakuro will be paying more than a social call to your door. Is that in anyway unclear?"

"No, lady, it's not. Thank you for your time." She backed away quickly, wringing her hands to keep the shaking under control. As soon as the throne room doors were shut, Yaone ran for her room, shivering still from that too close encounter with death. She'd known all along Gyokumen Koushu wouldn't agree, but she'd had to try anyway. Sometimes the self-styled queen was surprising in her generousity. Sometimes. Today was obviously not one of those days.

Once the door was closed, she slid down it until she sat on the floor, knees up to her chest. There _had_ to be a way to find out! The guard leading down into the laboratory had tripled since she and Dokugakuji had tried out right storming it. She'd seen some of the human laborers installing little round devices up on the walls that allowed the scientists to monitor everything in the halls, so sneaking in was out. They were even now installing a new communications network. All general announcements could now be made using this instead of having to worry that messengers would garble it.

Sighing and leaning her head back against the door, eyes closed, she let her mind wander for a bit. For some reason, a conversation she'd had months ago with Sanzo popped up. It had been over sudoku puzzle they'd spent a good part of the night trying to figure out. It had been a tough one, too, and he more than once cussed the thing out before draining off a beer. Finally, he'd stood up and walked away from it. At first she'd thought he was going for his cigarettes but when she realized he was going to sit at the window, she'd frowned, confused.

_"Are you giving up?"_

_"No. I'm stepping back."_

_"Stepping back?"_

_He motioned to the puzzle still sitting on the table. "If you're too focused on the little things, you miss the bigger picture. By removing yourself from the whole thing physically and mentally it allows your subconscious to process what exactly is going on. Taking a break will help solve this goddamn thing."_

_Smiling, she leaned over and scratched in a three, erasing the three next to it and moving it to another box. "Or we could just move the threes around."_

_"Shit, I knew it was one of the threes," he snarled, coming back over and dropping into his seat angrily._

Yaone smiled at that. That had been a while ago, she realized with a start. Granted, there was never much time for them to see each other, but it still had been months now since all of this started. And now look at it. She sighed again, hugging her arms around her knees. He did have a good point, though. Maybe if she stopped focusing on it for just a bit the answer would smack her in the face. Maybe.

But that meant her mind was free to dwell on Sanzo, which was equally frustrating. They were probably long gone from Shussan by now. It hadn't been a guarantee they'd be able to meet, but it would have been nice. At least things were good there. Well, ALMOST good. How good could it possibly be knowing someday your significant other just might actually kill you? Or you might actually kill them? At least he hadn't lied and said he wouldn't. She appreciated that.

Deciding the door was now uncomfortable, Yaone got to her feet, walking over to the balcony doors and unlocking them. It was a very nice evening at any rate, not too cold, not too warm. There was a light breeze blowing through and, while there weren't many stars peeking out, the half moon did cast a good amount of light over everything. She wondered lazily where exactly Sanzo would be by now. Most likely on the other side of the mountain, resting at an inn for the evening. She couldn't help laughing a little over it. He was most likely stuck in a room with the other three, annoyed as hell!

>>>>>>>>>>

A flash of silver whipped through the night. Sanzo saw it and held out his left hand for it. The shakujo's chain wrapped around his arm, the blade barely missing his head by an inch. That goddamn idiot! He'd give him a few bruises for nearly decapitating him. The chain suddenly jerked to a hault, pulling his arm tightly. He couldn't hold out the scream of pain that broke from between clenched teeth as his shoulder was slammed right into the rock wall. "SON OF A BITCH!" He glared up in the darkness at Gojyo's shadowy shape holding on to the other end of the chain.

Sharp claws sinking into his thigh and lower back returned his attention to the unwanted baggage still clinging to him. Dumb bastard! The youkai's eyes glinted wildly in the light and he cackled as he screeched, "Fall, fall FALL!"

Gritting his teeth even harder, he managed to twist himself around enough to jam the gun right up against the youkai's head. "You first, cock sucker!" He pulled the trigger, the sound echoing in the small canyon they'd fallen into. The youkai fell away with that shocked expression still plastered all over his face. Good. He quickly stashed the gun away, planting one foot against the rock surface to try and scale back up. It slipped off the wet stone and he fell again. The chain rattled a little as Gojyo lost his grip, letting him slide even closer to certain death.

"Hold on, you good for nothing kappa," he shouted. His entire arm was begging to just be cut off, the throbbing so intense it broke through the need to get to the top.

"Yeah, well your struggling isn't helping," Gojyo voice shouted back from far above. "Don't make me drop your holy ass!"

"Grr... GOJYO! Get me the fuck up there NOW!"

"Suck dick, priest, I'm working on it!"

There was a sharp jerk as the chain was pulled slowly upward. In the process, Sanzo was slammed into the side of the canyon more times than he cared to count and his arm was an absolute mess of pain. Once he was within reaching distance of the top, he flung his free arm up and over, using the leverage to finish pulling himself out. He managed to keep himself propped upright, panting and sweating from the effort. That sucked. That sucked almost as bad as being left alone with Gojyo and his stupidity. Fishing around inside his robe for his cigarettes and lighter, he lit up and let the smoke out slowly. Granted, it didn't help him slow down his breathing, but it felt fucking good after that mess.

He glanced over to where Gojyo was stretched out on his back, eyes closed and lungs working harder than his. His shakujo was on the ground next to him, completely forgotten for the time being. "Was it just... me... or did that... suck?" the red head choked out, unknowingly echoing Sanzo's thoughts. Damn... he didn't like the idea of thinking like the kappa!

"It did," he answered.

"You're heavier... than you... look... Exalted One."

"Screw you! I didn't... ask for... help."

Gojyo chuckled, eyes opening a crack to meet his glare. "I didn't help you because I wanted to. Force of habit. I like picking people up."

Sanzo shook his head. Of all the times... "You make me sick."

"Argh, get bent!"

He was about to retaliate when he noticed Gojyo's hands. There were bruises shaped like chain links covering his palms, his wrist, even a few on his shoulder. A few places showed where the links had pinched together, popping the skin like a blister to bleed. Shit... he fought off the guilty feeling at having picked on the red head when it was obvious he'd worked his ass off (for a change) to save his life. There was no way he was going to apologize to someone like Gojyo. But there was something that would make up for it.

Pulling out another cigarette, Sanzo inserted it between Gojyo's lips, the kappe biting down out of habit on the end. He flicked his lighter open, lit it and returned to his own smoke as Gojyo greedily sucked the nicotine into his lungs. "Thank yoooooou!"

"Hmph." Getting to his feet, he rotated his shoulder experimentally and found that, while it hurt like a bitch, it was still usable. He finished smoking, fliched the butt away over the cliff and kicked Gojyo none too gently in the ribs. "Now get up, you damn kappa! Nap time's over."

"Oi, that hurt, asswipe! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"At the moment, your laziness. We don't have time for you slacking. I think more manual labor on your part is definately needed."

Gojyo snorted, shouldering his shakujo and sauntering up alongside Sanzo. "Heh, it's because you assholes sent me out grocery shopping that this happened! You'd think someone as wise and all-knowing as you wouldn't make the same mistake twice."

"I wasn't the one to make the mistake to begin with. Hakkai's the one who told you to."

"Then it's HIS fault all this happened!"

Sanzo arched a brow but didn't bother looking at Gojyo. How typical! "Don't go projecting your problems on Hakkai. He's the one trapped in that gourd, remember?"

"You know," Gojyo drawled, lips quirking upward in a wicked smile. "There's a reason you can't get laid, man. And that's the fact you aren't even the teensy bit adorable."

ADORABLE? "Don't you dare even THINK I'm-," All at once, a demonic aura crashed into him from behind and he whirled around, gun blazing into the darkness. Shit, the asshole had been wearing a limiter! No wonder Gojyo hadn't sensed anything in the market.

Vines came from out of nowhere, wrapping around his wrists and jerking them over his head. He was lifted off his feet, vines circling down to stop him from struggling. "Fuck!" This whole being tied up thing was getting tiresome for one night. His eyes narrowed when he finally saw the kid, still holding the gourd. He should have guessed. Those vines... they came from the gourd which meant they were magic and wouldn't easily be broken. Just fucking great...

"SANZO!" Gojyo turned, ready to run for him.

"Behind you, moron!" he shouted back. Honestly, how hard was it to understand that in order to free the others, they had to destroy the gourd? Not to mention the fact he had his back to the enemy.

"Why, mister? Why did you come here?"

It was the sound of the kid's voice that turned Gojyo around more than anything Sanzo had said. "Kin...kaku?"

Pale gold eyes looked up from the ground, full of sorrow. "Maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe YOU are a bad person, too."

The vines tightened and Sanzo winced, but there wasn't much he could do wrapped up like some goddamn birthday present. All he could do now was wait and pray to the gods that Gojyo wouldn't get all sentimental and forget to kill this kid.

>>>>>>>>>>

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I dedicate this chapter to ASHauni21. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I quite literally busted it out just for her, so thank her for the quick update and make sure to drop her a happy birthday, okay? That's an ORDER (glares)!


	14. Chapter 14

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am going to make this as brief as possible. First of all, I'm very sorry. I know these past couple chapters have been REALLY BOOOOORING due to the fact they're right out of the manga. Unfortunately, like with other events, I can't really just breeze by something as major as Kami-Sama. Hence, all the rehashing. I want to thank everyone who've been waiting some time for the Big Sexiness to come out and I do PROMISE that it'll happen toward the end of Kami-Sama. That's about the only time Minekura's plot allowed me to slip it in. BLAST! On another note, I'm going to try extremely hard to get Kami-Sama done and out of the way in about three very LOOOONG chapters. There will be some added bits from other characters in case you're interested. If not, I totally understand if you don't want to pick it up again until about chapter 17. There's still much love for the readers AND especially anyone who's reviewed this piece. So, thank you again for indulging me and now for insanely long chapters...

>>>>>>>>>>

It was always difficult reverting back. Much more so than the initial letting loose. Hakkai remained on his hands and knees for several minutes after defeating their enormous rival. Though, defeating didn't really cover the complete massacre beforethe littering of blood and organs on the ground around him. The need to kill and to keep killing was still warring inside him and it took everything he had not to give in and find something else squirming around in this hellhole to make bleed. Like Goku. He sucked in a quick breath, holding it while his claws dug into the ground. Something else, something else... don't even begin to think about tearing open Goku's stomach just to see how big it really is!

His fingers brushed up against something that sent a sharp little jolt through his entire body. Opening his eyes, he saw one of the bands within reaching distance. Slowly, he picked it up. The other one inside him, the one that came out with this body, was screaming at him to drop the fucking thing and rip Goku's face off. No, he wouldn't do that. Besides the fact Sanzo would kill him, it wouldn't be any fun. Goku most likely would be too shocked to fight back.

Foot steps ground the dirt sharply, sounding even louder than they should have. Hakkai tightened his hand around that one piece of silver, trying to slow both his breathing and his heart down. The excitement of having Goku come closer and meet a messy death by his claws was slapped back down by the sharp sting coming from the tiny limiter. "Stay back, Goku," he shouted, his voice harsh and almost unrecognizable.

The footsteps stopped dead. There was a scuffing sound followed by the tinkle of metal against the hard ground. "Here's another one," Goku said softly.

Hakkai opened his eyes again. The second piece was lying just a little away from him. He scooped it up as well and the the familiar electric like sting increased against his palm. He fastened the first in place, followed by the second. Immediately, those two helped him calm the monster inside enough to look for the third one without the burning need to destroy Goku. So long as the boy stayed still and didn't make any sudden movements toward him, everything would be fine. He finally found the third one and quickly put it on, body shuddering as it returned to the human shape. The other consciousness gave one final scream before it was silent again, hidden behind the unpleasant sting caused by his limiters. It would take about an hour or so, but his body would readjust to accomodate the discomfort and turn it into white noise.

He twisted his shoulder around to relieve to pressure of abused muscles, wincing a little as it twisted his neck funny. "I think maybe I over did it. Well, it's been a while since- Goku? Is something wrong?"

Goku was just staring at him. It made Hakkai's gut clench up. Usually those eyes were so full of emotion, his mind apparent through a golden mirror. This was the first time he'd ever seen them closed off and tight. _Like Sanzo's_. It about killed him inside to know he was the one to bring about that change.

"I thought it'd be cool ta see you go berserk... but it wasn't. It was scary. I like this Hakkai MUCH better."

Forcing his usual cheerful smile and wiping the blood that always seemed to get on his hands off on his pants, Hakkai turned a full circle, eyes scanning their bleak environment. At least it hadn't terrified Goku too badly. "Well, this is disappointing! I thought for sure if we killed him we'd find an exit."

"Grrr... SOMEBODY GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE AND TALK TO US!" Goku shouted, stamping his foot. It was obvious the bruneete was just as annoyed with this place as Hakkai was.

A sudden burst of silvery light came from above. Hakkai shielded his eyes with his hand, wondering what hell had cooked up for them next. "I think you got your wish, Goku."

"I did?"

The shape that appeared was that of a boy with a very familiar face. Yet it wasn't the boy from the inn, Hakkai realized quickly enough. This one was slightly taller. And the mark on his forehead was different as well.

"You're the jerk from the inn! You killed us! You SUCK!" Hakkai quickly held Goku back from trouncing the poor boy.

"That's not him, Goku. This one has silver hair, not blonde."

"Huh? But it IS the same kid! He's got the same stupid face!"

"It wasn't me that killed you," the boy finally spoke up. There was no animosity coming from him, no desire to harm them. He just sounded... sad. "It was my twin. And you're not dead. Your souls are trapped inside the gourd."

"We're not dead?" Goku asked before jumping up and down excitedly. "Y'hear that, Hakkai? We're not dead! WOOHOO! Let's get the hell out of... uh, hell!"

"Just a moment, Goku," Hakkai interupted, snagging the boy by the back of his shirt without so much as drawing his attention from their visitor. "I'm guessing it's not so easy as to just walk out, is it?"

The kid smiled but it wasn't happy. "No, it's not. We're trapped here. Someone has to let us out. Mister, in want to ask you for a favor. Please, save my brother!"

>>>>>>>>>>

Gojyo whirled the chained blade around, not really aiming to hit the kid. It was more to scare the piss out of him and maybe intimidate him into dropping Sanzo. He could hear the choked sounds coming from the monk as he fought to breathe around the vines constricting him. Shit, this really wasn't his day! Gojyo was jerked backward when the chain got caught in something. He pulled a couple times but to no avail. It was good and stuck. "Son of a bitch!" The little bastard's plants had his weapon all tangled up!

"Why are you fighting me, mister? This man is bad and is going to die for it. You can't stop it, no matter how hard you try. Kami-Sama gave this to me! He's on my side!"

Again with this God bullshit! "Kami-Sama gave that to you? Man, you are one fucked up little boy, you know that?" He gave a token tug on the staff, trying to wiggle the blade around and slice through the vines wrapped around it. So much for THAT idea, he thought dismally.

"WHAT? How dare you say that! Kami-Sama DID give this to me! He said if I kill you, my brother will change back! Kami-Sama TOLD me this and he never lies!"

"S-shut... up!"

Both turned their attention to that sharp voice. Even barely able to speak, Sanzo had a way of making himself heard. Dumb fucker just didn't know when to pass out! Violet eyes glittered through mere slits. He was all trussed up and helpless looking, but he still managed to pull off a dangerous and commanding air. All that arrogance popping through, even in the face of death!

"Listen to me, brat. You need to ask yourself what you really believe in. Do you honestly believe in some hack pretending to be God? You keep talking about your brother and how you both promised to protect and care for each other. Isn't that what you truly believe in? Tell me when exactly did your brother ask you to become a murderer? Is this what he would have wanted for you? You're pathetic!"

"SHUT UP!" The vines choking the monk moved, jerking him in the direction of a tree. At that angle and speed, the monk's frail human neck was going to snap for sure! Why couldn't he have just layed off for a bit?

Gojyo ran without thinking about it. He managed to get himself between Sanzo and the tree in time to save the prick at the cost of having the wind knocked clean out if his lungs. The price of saving the arrogant... bruises, possibly a cracked rib and no thanks. "Shit! Your bedside manner sucks some serious ass," he gasped out.

"Gojyo!"

For a second, the monk almost sounded worried for him. Gojyo flashed the most perverted grin he could and managed to wiggle his hips up against the hard ass pressing into his groin. "Normally I'm not into guys on top of me, but this isn't half bad!" Ha! Let him take his concern and shove it up his holy ass!

"You goddamn pervert! Get my gun!"

Getting the gun required reaching around Sanzo's body to get it from the hands now tied in front of him. Which of course he used to his advantage as it meant his cock was wedged more tightly into the silk and jeans. He wasn't in to guys, but any excuse to embarass the monk was more than welcomed! Gojyo could hear his jaw popping with the effort of not killing him for being so close. He finally got the gun free and pointed it up without really thinking about aiming or whatever. Sanzo never bothered to aim, so why should he? Besides, how hard could it be to fire a gun?

"Don't do anything stu-,"

**BANG!**

Gojyo watched in horror as the bullet hit the gourd, knocking it free of the kid's hands. Everyone had a moment in which to stare at the smoking object rolling in an awkward circle away from everyone. There was a perfect hole right above the creepy eye-thing, cracks radiating out from it. At least the thing didn't break! "Gojyo, get the gourd! We might need that for Hakkai and Go-,"

Gojyo had just wedged himself out from behind the monk when the cracks spread shortly before the entire object crumbled into ruin. That... couldn't be good at all. "Oops." A sharp kick to his shin made him yelp before slugging Sanzo back. "GODDAMN IT! You said to shoot!"

"I said to get the gun," Sanzo shouted back. "There's no way in hell I would have told you to shoot!"

"You implied it when you begged me to get the stupid thing in the first place!"

"BEGGED? I don't beg!" Sanzo shook himself free of the vines before snatching the still smoking gun out of his grip. "Give me that before you accidentally shoot _me!_"

"That'll never be an accident, dickwad!" Gojyo shouted back, following him over to where the kid was kneeling over the broken gourd, fingers working to try and put the pieces back together. It was a hopeless struggle. No amount of glue in the world was repairing that.

"He's going to be so mad... he gave this to me... I broke it... he's going to be so mad..."

Sanzo stood to one side, crossing his arms over his chest. He should have guessed the heartless prick wouldn't want to have anythign to do with a hysterical youngster. Sighing, he knelt in front of the shaking mass of fabric and put a hand to Kinkaku's head. "So, what, you're scared of this Kami-Sama? Or is it the thought of being alone?"

The kid slapped his hand away, pale golden eyes sparking with that familiar blind devotion. "Y-you're wrong! Kami-Sama is right and you're wrong!"

Gojyo glanced back at Sanzo for help. "This isn't my problem. He wouldn't listen to me anyway, even if I did say something," the monk answered without even glancing his way.

"Damn it, could you be any colder?" He had only a second to ponder the slight scrunching around Sanzo's eyes before a shadow fell voer them. Both of them jumped away as a gigantic clawed fist came smashing into the ground between them. "Shit, I forgot about this guy!" He freed the crescent blade and let it fly, arching directly for the youkai's neck.

"GINKAKU!"

Wait... this was his BROTHER? Damn it, the sonufabitch priest was right! He quickly slid his hand up the staff, grabbing a hold of the chain itself to alter the direction. The blade thunked into a tree shortly before a hand slammed into his face, crushing him into the ground.

"You idiot! What the hell is wrong with you?" Sanzo shouted, taking aim for the roaring monster trying to smother him.

"NO!" Kinkaku threw himself onto Sanzo's arm, forcing the gun off into the forest. That took some massive balls, Gojyo conceded, fingers digging into the soft earth as he strained to keep from being shoved in. Sanzo was for sure going to kill him now!

"I'm only saying this one time. Let go or get shot!"

"I won't let you kill my brother!" Kinkaku still held tenaciously to Sanzo's wrist.

_This sucks some hard core ass_, Gojyo thought angrily. He managed to get himself up onto his forearm, giving him plenty of space to act. He couldn't kill the monster... but he sure as hell could hurt it! Using the other end of the shakujo, he sliced upward, catching it over the eyes. It screamed, stumbling back with blood oozing from between it's clawed figners. Gojyo got to his feet, fingering his jaw and opening it once or twice to see if it was all good.

Sanzo came up beside him as the boy ran for the moaning mass of muscle on the ground. "I swear... " He pulled out his cigarettes and lit up. Gojyo's nose and mouth twitched at the welcoming smell of nicotine. Unfortunately, all his smokes were back at the inn with the two dead non-smokers, and Pretty Boy here didn't look in the mood to share!

"P-please, mister... don't kill my brother!" Eyes shining with tears met his and held. "I don't care what you do to me, just don't kill him! Ginkaku's not bad, really. He's a good person, honest!"

_Mom's really not that bad... it's all my fault anyway... Mom's really not that bad..._ Damn it! He shook his head and fought back the usual depression that always came with those memories. He knew a certain cold violet gaze was watching him closely as he crouched in front of the kid again, careful not to touch him this time. "Look... I'm not gonna kill you, okay? You wanna save your brother, I get that. It's just like us. We wanna save our friends."

Sniffling and wiping his nose on the back of his hand, he said softly, "But... But you said they were bad! I was only-,"

"-I know. You were trying to get rid of the bad people. And believe me, these guys suck pretty bad, especially that asshole back there!"

"Fuck off," Sanzo snarled predictably in response.

"But," he continued with a quick smile thrown over his shoulder. "That's not what everything's about. Some good people do some pretty shitty things, and some bad people do some pretty amazing shit."

"Huh?"

"Never mind, you'll get it eventually. But not if you go around throwing your life away, got it?"

"Mister, I- Ginkaku!" He turned as his brother groaned, hulking body shifting. Gojyo quickly moved back a pace, old habits from past encounters with Big Ugly making him more wary about standing so close.

With a sudden growl, the monster backhanded the kid and sent him flying through the air.

"KINKAKU!"

"Get away from him, Gojyo!"

He didn't need to be told twice. He ran for Kinkaku, still unmoving on the ground, as the click of a bullet slipping into the chamber came from behind him. He knew this time if he interfered Sanzo would do a helluva lot more than punch him.

The shot never came. Gojyo stopped as he was rolling a moaning Kinkaku over to see what the hold up was. He got his answer when he caught an eye full of monkey.

Goku smiled, whipping his nyoi-bo over and around his hand as Ginkaku gell to the ground. "Thanks for waiting, guys!"

"You shit head! Way to pretend to be dead just to get outta doing work," Gojyo shouted back. He was more than relieved to see Goku. It meant Hakkai was probably...

The screeching of tires and brakes told him he was right. There was only one person he knew who drove that horribly. "I see you two are in trouble, as usual," Hakkai laughed, getting out of the Jeep.

"Hmph, I'm not the one throwing stones at a hornet's nest," Sanzo responded, flicking away his cigarette.

"I told you shooting the gourd wouldn't be bad," Gojyo called over to Sanzo as he helped Kinkaku sit up.

"You never said that! One more word out of you and you're going to be eating steak through a straw!"

Goku's stomach growled loudly and his hand went to it immediately, leaning on his staff. "Speaking of steak... I'm so hungry!"

A paper fan to the head caused him to bowl over onto the ground. "Shut it!"

While those two continued to shout, Hakkai came over and knelt beside Gojyo. "You're Kinkaku, correct?" he asked kindly. The kid nodded, still sitting up with Gojyo's arm around his shoulders. "I'm sorry, I really am. I don't want to be the one to tell you this but... that creature over there is not your brother."

"Eh?" Gojyo asked, eyebrows disappearing behind his bandana. What the fuck was Hakkai on about? Ha and Sanzo had already established that WAS his brother! "Hey, Hakkai, you might wanna-,"

Ignoring him, Hakkai continued in that consoling tone, "I believe maybe this Kami-Sama has something to do with it. Maybe an illusion or some sort of shikigami, but it's not your real brother."

Kinkaku looked ready to explode any minute. It couldn't be easy having so much emotional shit dumped on him at once. Gojyo stopped rubbing his back when he scooted backward from them, eyes wild. "B-But... why? Why would he... You're lying!"

"I truly wish I was." Gojyo stood up with Hakkai, greatful that his friend was taking over. He wasn't good with the whole grief thing... and Hakkai was about a million times more caring than Sanzo! "But while our souls were trapped in that gourd, we saw him there."

"Then where is he? If you came back, he should be here!"

Gojyo grabbed Hakkai's wrist. "Hakkai?" He knew in his gut why Ginkaku didn't return with the others. Hakkai's silence was answer enough. "Aw, for fuck's sake!" He dropped the wrist and turned his back, fists clenched. This wasn't fair! What did they ever do to deserve this? They were just kids trying to survive... His back tensed as Hakkai continued on slowly.

"When the way out appeared, all he said was that his physical body was already decayed. Kinkaku, your brother's been gone for a very long time."

He winced at the anguished scream from behind him. Damn it... Kinkaku continued to scream and scream. Hakkai walked up behind him, putting a hand to his shoulder. He shrugged it off. He wasn't the one needing sympathy! It was that kid. Slowly, he turned around, prepared to offer what little confort he could. He'd dealt with loss his whole fucking life. He knew how it felt.

There was an odd rattling sound followed by a small _pop_. Kinkaku stopped screaming. The absence of sound drew everyone's attention. Everything seemed to move as if in slow motion. Blood flew from Kinkaku's chest, his mouth. Gojyo was at his side before he'd even hit the ground, wheezing for breath and choking on his own blood. What the hell just happened? What the... Gojyo frantically ripped open the shirt, staring at the neat hole going clean through his lung. Shit! It looked almost like a gunshot except for the fact that Sanzo hadn't fired his gun.

"Shit... Oh, shit!"

Kinkaku was trying to speak, eyes bulging as he choked, the words not able to come out through the blood in his throat. Whatever hit him went right through the lung, which was now filling with blood. Licking his lips, he grabbed up the remains of the shirt with shaky hands, pressing down enough to try and stop the blood from coming out. He had no idea what to do, but stopping the blood seemed like a good one. "H-Hakkai? Hakkai! I'm not a healer here, what do I do?"

"Gojyo... " He knew that tone too well.

"Don't fucking tell me there's nothing we can do! Tell me what I need to do! Should I stop the bleeding or try and get it outta his lungs or what? HAKKAI, ANSWER ME!"

Kinkaku was reaching up. Gojyo had a moment of fear that he was going to try and say goodbye or some other such crap like that. Instead, the kid gasped out, "Kami-Sama... why?" The arm fell limp, eyes glazed over. Gojyo fell back on his ass, hands covered in blood. No way... after all that... everything those two had been through...

He was vaguely aware of someone laughing. Who the FUCK would be laughing at something like this? Gritting his teeth, he pushed to his feet again, shakujo ready to kill the asshole who thought it was funny to watch a kid die!

"Why?" that laughing voice paused long enough to ask. "Because I don't need you anymore, that's why!"

Gojyo's eyes narrowed when he spotted a shape in the trees. Kami-Sama, huh? Looked pretty flesh and blood to him. He waited patiently as the figure dropped to the ground. Human, too, from the smell of him. Good, that meant the bastard could not only bleed but die!

He stepped into the dull light coming from the moon and Gojyo wasn't the only one to register shock. A crown, silk robes, prayer beads... there was only one thing missing to make the outfit complete. Why would one of THEM be out here?

"What the hell?" Goku shouted, stepping back a pace.

Hakkai lowered the chi forming in his hand. "Those robes... there's no way... He's a sanzo priest?"

The two who didn't budge were Sanzo and Gojyo. He didn't much care if this was another holy prick or not! He wanted to stain those robes a pretty shade of red for what he'd done to Kinkaku.

The one in the robes gave Sanzo a derisive once over, lip lifting faintly in a sneer. "I'm almost insulted you would give me that title if this is what you consider a sanzo to be," he remarked.

"Excuse me?" Sanzo demanded coldly, clicking a bullet into the chamber.

"I mean, I'm sooo much stronger than you! I guess they'll let just about anyone be a sanzo nowadays."

"I guess so. Including arrogant little cocksuckers like yourself."

The man laughed loudly, covering his mouth with one hand. "Oh, all of you are just too amusing! But you should know by now... you can't kill God!"

"Screw that! We've killed gods before," Goku hollered, retaking that step forward.

Gojyo pushed Goku aside, stepping even in front of Sanzo's gun. Kami-Sama continued to snicker to himself, clutching his sides. "Hold it, Goku. I wanna have a little chat with 'God'. I want you to tell me what's so fucking funny about a little boy dying. What the hell did you need them for? Explain to me why a sick mother fucker like yourself would take two innocent boys and turn them into monsters!"

Kami-Sama smiled beautifically. Winking, he pressed a finger to his lips. "It's a secret. And you don't know the magic word!"

Magic word... he'd show him a magic word! The chain was free and the blade whistling through the air before anyone else could move. It connected with Kami-Sama... and then a shower of red prayer beads fell around them. Kami-Sama's laughter carried back through the trees until it faded away into nothing.

"What the... ARGH! He ran away!"

Ignoring the fact that Goku was echoing exactly what he thought, Gojyo began the long walk back to the inn. He needed a couple drinks under his belt before he decided what to do next. There was no way he would be able to sleep this night or any other. Blood was on his hands and he wanted to wipe it off onto the murderering bastard who took the lives of two innocent boys. Hakkai was calling to him, but he kept walking. He needed to think this out a little. Rushing in here would only get him killed. His hand reached for the pack of cigarettes that weren't there. Damn it all to hell!

Sighing, Gojyo finally stopped walking. He knew what needed to be done. And he knew he'd have to do it alone. Sanzo wasn't about to take another detour west. The monk was always saying they were free to leave whenever they wanted to. Looks like his time had come.

>>>>>>>>>>

"Come on, put your backs into it!" Dokugakuji shouted, wiping the sweat from his brow. The sun was blazing hot over head, making it difficult to grip the shovel with his sweaty palms. His shirt and jacket were crumbled up somewhere by the tents and his pants were soaked through. The soldiers who elected to come with him were huffing a little as they struggled to reach their quota for the day. They'd started early with the intention of getting three quadrants done each day. It was grueling work and more than once someone had dropped out from heat exhaustion. Some of the soldiers with families had brought their oldest sons out. Now those boys were being put to work to make sure there was plenty of water and that it got to the ones digging.

So far, they'd not gotten lucky at all. The estimated depth of the underground fortress was about ten feet. They were now down to almost twelve and still nothing! There was no doubt in his mind Zakuro had been the one to nominate him for this task. Especially with the snarky parting comment he'd made at the gate: _Yaone's certainly going to miss you, Dokugakuji. I guess I'll have to try and make her feel better._

He jammed his shovel in hard, finding sudden new strength in his anger. That man... He had no clue why he was so obsessed with Yaone, but it wasn't good. It wasn't that he actually thought Zakuro might love her in a very twisted way. Zakuro was probably getting his rocks off over intimidating her. Yaone was strong, but once you got passed the outer shell she was easily brought down. Dokugakuji hated the thought of being out here while she was stuck to deal with Zakuro on her own. That was a fight she shouldn't HAVE to face! Besides, he had a score to settle with the asshole himself.

Someone let out a loud whoop of excitement and soon everyone was crowded around a piece of stone that was too uniformly shaped like a triangle to be natural. Hands pushed more and more sand away to reveal the corner of a building under the sand. "Get the shovels and let's start digging over here! The sooner we get it excavated the sooner we see our women," Dokugakuji demanded. The men laughed and were immediately with him shoveling the heavy sand aside with new vigor. Three days in this heat and they were all ready to just give Gyokumen Koushu the finger as they walked to the executioners block. This was just the boost they needed to push on!

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai knocked before entering, the coffee he and Sanzo had shared earlier starting to kick in a little. "Goku, Gojyo! It's time to get up. We're almost ready to go and-," He stopped. staring at the beds. Goku was sprawled across his, snoring lightly still, with one leg drapped over the side and a hand clutching his pillow. The other one as just as smooth and perfect as when the maids had made it in the morning. That meant Gojyo hadn't slept in it.

Something told Hakkai that it wasn't because Gojyo found a room with a woman. This same something told him it had to do with his odd behavior over the pizza last night. Gojyo was gone, for good. "Oh, dear..."


	15. Chapter 15

"The first thing I'm going to do is blow a hole right through his cock."

"Oh, that's a good one," Hakkai conceded, smiling at the sour blonde next to him. They'd packed up early that morning and taken off as soon as they could to track Gojyo down and make him hurt for abandoning them like that.

"An' I wanna tie him to a chair with a bunch of pretty ladies that he won't be able to touch," Goku added. "Oh, and THEN I wanna kill him!"

Even Sanzo cracked a little smile at that. Hakkai burst out laughing, surprised by the boy's vindictiveness. He certainly knew Gojyo well enough! "Who would have thought such an evil mind resided in you, Goku?"

"Um... so does that mean we can do it?" he asked hopefully.

"Absolutely!"

"Hmph, I'll even buy the women."

Goku grinned, pleased that his idea was so well received.

Now all they had to do was catch up with the missing kappa. Hakkai shifted up a gear, stepping on the gas. It was a little dangerous to be driving like this in the forest on a narrow road, but they had a lot of ground to back track over.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone jumped the fallen tree easily, dropping to one knee and listening around her. He was going left. She took off sprinting again, thorns and branches raking her skin, lungs working hard to give her enough air. She spotted a flash of bright blue and picked up speed. She was close enough now she could hear his startled pants, see the whites of his enormous eyes as he looked back over his shoulder to find her still hot on his heels.

"Bilal! I'm not out to hurt you, I just need to ask you a few questions!" Bilal had escaped from Houtu Castle late last night. He'd been a servant for Lady Koushu and as a punishment for choosing the wrong outfit for her to wear she'd given him over to the human scientists to experiment on. Somehow (no one knew how still) he'd managed to get free and make a run for it. The announcements that morning had said he was to be terminated on sight and a bounty of ten thousand rupees if his body was brought back. She had no intention of kill him, all she wanted to know was how he'd gotten out of the laboratory. It made logical sense that any exit could become an entrance.

Bilal only picked up speed, slipping a little on the soggy forest floor, catching his hand on a tree to keep from falling completely. Yaone gritted her teeth and forced her legs to move faster, taking a running leap over yet another log and landing heavily before regaining speed. She was so close to him she could smell the fearful sweat pouring down his body. "Bilal! Stop, it's me, Yaone! You KNOW me, Bilal!"

It did nothing more than to give him a fresh burst of adrenaline. She gritted her teeth and did everything she could to keep him at least in sight. The chase finally ended when he skidded to a hault at a cliff leading directly down to a rocky cavern below. Yaone halted, too, feet slipping a little on the loose stones. This was the old quarry mind that had been used for violent criminals. Now it was empty, those criminals having been freed to join the army. Killers ordered to do what they did best.

Bilal was panting, eyes darting from side to side as he desperately tried to find an escape. 'D-Don't come... n-n-near me! I'll jump, I swear it! Then you'll have... n-nothing to take back!"

Yaone sat down slowly, keeping her eyes on him. There was no way she could keep him from jumping if he felt like it. But if she maybe showed him she wasn't a threat, he'd calm down enough to talk to her. "Look, Bilal. I'm sitting down and I don't have a weapon. The only thing I'm carrying right now is a sleeping powder and I'm not going to use it on you. Bilal!"

The sharpness to his name made him flinch, scratching at his arm over the barcode that had been tattooed into his skin. Yaone frowned as he continued to dig away at it, blood dripping from the cuts. "You can't help me... no one can... he's in my head and he won't shut UP! Says I gotta kill him... kill the sanzo... you can't... GAAAAAH! HELP ME!"

Yaone's stomach lurched. Just what exactly were they doing down there? Slowly, she moved so that she was kneeling. His eyes followed her warily, edging toward the quarry ledge. "Bilal... talk to me. I _want_ to help you, but you've got to help me first. Who is inside your mind?"

"HIM! Always him... can't shut him up... all I can think about is the sanzo and killing him and blood and KILLING him..."

"Yes, Bilal, I know, but who IS it?"

Bilal crumbled in on himself, curling up into a tiny ball, eyes shut tight and tears squeezing through. "Can't help... me... can't help...can't..."

This was terrifying! Bilal had always been a very quiet man, always obediant to others. He was never a spy for Gyokumen Koushu though. And so gentle, too. It had been four months ago that he'd shyly shown her the collection of bugs he had, especially butterflies. She'd been touched, seeing as she was probably the only person in the castle to know that about him. If Bilal had been a little more assertive, he would have been very attractive to her. But as he was, he was no more than a friend. This complete transformation of his character was one of the most horrible things she'd witnessed during the ressurection project. To take someone as harmless as Bilal and turn him into a killer... it was something Dr. Nii would find perversely amusing.

Taking a deep breath and hoping her instincts were right, Yaone layed down on the rocky surface on her side, ignoring the sharp stabs of loose stone flakes cutting into her arms and legs. She made sure that she was facing the same direction as him so that when he opened his eyes, he'd be looking right at her. "Bilal, open your eyes."

Slowly, they cracked open, red and swollen from the tears. Nothing but incoherent fear was there, with a darkness looming in the backgroudn waiting to break free. This wasn't the same man she knew. They'd done something to him, brainwashed him, altered him chemically... whatever they did, they'd broken him completely. He was nothing more than a wild animal now looking to escape. She had to swallow a couple times to keep her own tears back. How could anyone do this to another living being? There were plenty of assassins and murderers in the world, why create more?

Bilal began to relax slowly, lips moving with barely a sound coming out. It about ripped her heart open when she realized he was repeating her name over and over again like a chant. "They did things..." he finally said clearly enough for her to hear. "Awful things. _He_ was there and he watched... he watched..." He whimpered, scratching at his arm again but his eyes stayed open.

"Shh, it's okay. He's not here now. Can you tell me what they did?"

"Don't remember too well... images... lots of images and thoughts that weren't mine... blood everywhere... the sanzo... can't THINK!" His claws tore through his hair, pulling on it hard enough she could hear it rip from his scalp. Blood trickled down his face from the torn scalp and he pulled his hands away, staring at the great clumps of hair in his hands. He laughed softly before licking the blood off his finger tips.

Forcing herself not to vomit, Yaone continued as gently as she could, "Bilal, tell me how you got out of there. How did you get out of the castle and here?"

He snickered, staring at his hands. The wind carried away the pieces of bluish hair, leaving his hands empty except for his own blood. "The way out? Hehe... through a rabbit hole... _he_ never even knew it was there! No one knows it's there... that's why it's a rabbit hole."

"And this... rabbit hole... where is it?"

"Can't tell, can't tell... it's a secret and you don't know the magic word!" He burst into laughter before hitting himself in the head violently.

The magic word? A rabbit hole? None of this made any sense to her! Her head throbbed with a growing migraine but she ignored at and tried to get him to calm down. "Bilal, what kind of butterfly was that black one again? It had the blue spots and the white trim. Can you tell me that? I forgot."

It took him a long time before he answered, voice straining. "Mourning cloaks. _Nymphalis antiopa_."

"That's the one! I was trying to find some in the garden the other day. I know you like them."

He nodded, swallowing hard. "They don't... live in a garden. Canyons... they like dark places."

Smiling, glad she had his attention again, she nodded. "That would explain why I couldn't find any. And what about that white one we caught? Remember that? It was completely snow white and-,"

"Wasn't a butter...fly. Moth."

"I'm sorry. It was still beautiful though, wasn't it?"

He nodded again, taking a hiccuping breath. "You were... beautiful... it was night and... and I thought..."

Yaone swallowed back the tears that were all but begging to be released. "Thank you, Bilal. It ws last summer, wasn't it?"

"Summer... hot all day... but nice night... w-we were outside on the bench and... and the sanzo was-,"

"The sanzo wasn't there that night, Bilal," she gently reminded him. "It was just you and me, remember? We were sitting on the bench outside. The moon was out..."

"Yes, the moon... remember now... wanted to touch you... didn't know..."

Yaone stretched her hand out to him, giving him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. "I'm here now, Bilal. This is your chance. Just take my hand and we'll go somewhere else. Somewhere with plenty of butterflies and far away from here."

"And summer... has to be summer... with the moon... and the sanzo-,"

"No, the sanzo won't be with us. It was just us back then. Just us." Her heart was in her throat as well as the bile. She wasn't going to get anything out of him until she got him somewhere safe and calmed down. She didn't care how far she had to take him, but she would. He didn't deserve this, not by any means!

Slowly, Bilal stretched his hand out, shaking nervously. His fingertips brushed against hers briefly. She gave him a reassuring smile, stretching a bit further. "Almost there. Just a little more..."

Pushing himself up on his bleeding forearm, he dragged himself across the stone flakes, oblivious to the pain he had to be feeling. When he was closer, he began to reach for her again... only to stop, eyes focusing on something behind her. The terror returned for force and he backed away, screaming and swatting at his face and shoulders like he was trying to get something off.

"Bilal!" Yaone got to her feet and watched in horror as his body began to jerk and spasm, eyes rolling back into his head. He was having a seizure! She ran to him, knees scraping painfully as she fell to his side, pressing a hand under his jaw and behind his head to protect his tongue and bleeding skull. She held him to her as the spasms increased violently and then stopped altogether. What... "No!" Yaone put her ear to his chest and got nothing. She checked the pulse in his wrist and on his neck just to be sure. Again nothing. What had happened? Blood trickled from between his lips, eyes closed and looking almost peaceful. How had this happened?

A sharp heel grinding into the stones made her whip around, tears falling down her cheeks as she still clutched Bilal to her. Zakuro smiled cruelly from where he stood. "Oopsies! It looks like I killed him. How clumsy of me. And after you had such a touching reunion, too!"

Fury swept through her, driving reason out the window. "You... you bastard! How could you DO this to him?" She stood her ground as he came over, chuckling under his breath. She shoved him back roughly as he reached down for the body. "Answer me, damn it! Why would you do this to him?"

His answer was a slap to her face. "Temper, temper, Yaone. I like feisty in the bedroom, not out of it. And the bounty said he needed to be dead."

"You did this... for the money?"

Zakuro laughed outright, gripping one of Bilal's wrists tightly. She was too numbed to stop him. "Money? I have no need of it! I did this first because my mistress ordered it. And second because I didn't like how cozy you two were. I don't like what's mine getting pawed at by some servant."

"Yours? You think that I'm YOURS?" Yaone gave a bitter laugh, wishing she could look him in the eyes. "You're crazier than I thought! I'm no one's, not yours, not Gyokumen Koushu's! NO ONE'S!"

"We all belong to someone, Yaone," he said darkly. "I belong to my mistress... and you belong to your amethyst eyed lover. And something else that's a truth? What belongs to another can be taken away. And I do intend to take you, Yaone."

The double meaning wasn't lost on her and she couldn't help blushing. The creep... "If you ever meet him, I dare you to spout that shit to him. I can guarantee he won't give you a quick death."

He didn't respond as she'd thought he would. A slap, a predictable line... but not the one she got! Zakuro bent down and kissed her hard on the lips, gripping her chin tightly. When he drew back, he smiled and walked away, dragging his prize behind him. "See you back home, my lovely! And I can't wait to send your lover to hell." His laughter slapped her in the face as he disappeared back into the forest, leaving her numb and sick where she stood. Silent tears fell as she hugged herself with one arm, the fingers of her other hand touching her lips. She truly hoped the day would come when she could watch Sanzo pull the trigger on that one! As much as she wanted to settle it herself, she couldn't. His being here proved that she was being watched more closely than she thought. Which meant there was no going anywhere that might put Sanzo in danger.

>>>>>>>>>>

Gojyo paused, panting hard and lit a cigarette. He wiped the sweat from his brow with a shaky hand, still sitting in the fog on the steps. Red beads still continued to roll down the steps. That had been a real shitty move... turning his mom into an illusion? This Kami-Sama guy was really asking for a serious ass whooping! Speaking of which... Grunting as he stood up, he continued to walk the Stairs That Hell Built. Honestly, who really NEEDED this many stairs? It was enough of a workout walking here from the village. Stairs were overkill.

He paused again to let out a puff of smoke. The fog cleared away a little, and his heart stopped briefly. He could make out the shape of a palace just ahead! He was near the top! "About fucking time, too," he muttered around his cigarette. Flicking away the remainder, he continued up the stairs at a quicker pace. Now that his goal was in sight, he'd found a new strength of purpose.

It was still a lot farther away than he'd thought. Gojyo's second wind quickly left his deflated body. His legs were pulsing in agony all the work out they were getting. Finally, he staggered to the top, tripping over the last step and catching himself as he hit the ground.

"So... how did you like my fog labrynth? Pretty cool eh?"

Gojyo's eyes traveled up the sandaled feet poking out from beneath the hem of a white robe to the pleasantly smiling face above him. Kami-Sama laughed lightly, fingers trailing over one of the many strands of prayer beads wrapped around his torso. Giving him his most perverted grin, Gojyo sat up and shrugged. "Sure, if by 'cool' you mean it bit my ass."

Kami-Sama stood up, stepping backward away from him, and laughed again. "You really are funny, mister. Are you here to kill me?"

"Something like that. Kill, maime, make you scream like a fucking virgin tossed to the sailors back from sea... I'm not picky."

"Is that so? I see. Well, shall we get started? It's been a while since anyone's amused me this much!"

Fist cocking back, Gojyo snarled, "Smile pretty so I can knock those teeth out, okay?" His fist connected solidly... with air. Shit, where'd he go?

"To your left, mister... oops, sorry, to your right now! AHAHAHA... this is fun!" Every swing, kick or maneuver he tried, Kami-Sama dodged easily, laughing the entire time. Damn... goddamn! Until now, Sanzo was about the fastest human he'd ever met. This guy was unbelievable! The only similarity between the two sanzo priests was that they both were annoying the piss out of him.

Gojyo stumbled forward but remained standing after throwing one more punch at nothing. "Son of a bitch... stop moving!"

"Hey... why aren't you using you weapon?" The curious voice came from behind him. Gojyo spun around and saw the brat sitting on a large pillar to the palace Kami-Sama balanced one elbow on his knee, giving him an almost innocent face. Innocent... not fucking likely! He'd met whores who were more innocent than this guy!

"Because if I do, I'm gonna end up with a face full of beads. And it'll be more enjoyable beating you unconscious!"

"Oh... Oh, I get it now! So, this is sort of like a game, right? Wow, and here I thought you were trying to kill me!" He laughed, wiping at his eyes. "Very well then, if you can touch me, you win."

Shit, he thought this was a GAME? "You are one fucked up freak, you know that? Fine, you wanna play it like that! Let's start by knocking you down a notch!" He swung his leg out, taking the pillar right in the middle. Stone flew everywhere as it toppled over. Kami-Sama wasn't where he should have been underneath. God-DAMN IT!

That laughter was coming from behind him again, toward the door of the palace. Maybe he'd get lucky and the bastard would choke to death on that laugh! "It's a shame you're not as smart as you are strong!"

He took enough flack from one priest, he wasn't about to take it from another! "Why don't you stop running away for a change? C'mon, take a stand for once!"

Kami-Sama smiled and held his arms out. "Okay, I'm standing. Now what?"

Gojyo's fist went sailing through the air, intent on crushing that smile from his face. The doors suddenly flew open and he went stumbling in, falling head over heels across the floor. His quick reflexes had him on his feet in a minute, scanning the room for where Kami-Sama might be hiding.

"You're very rude, too. I suppose that's all one can expect from a stupid half-breed." The voice echoed around the enormous room, not giving him a clear idea of where it came from.

"I'm tired of this toying around bullshit," he shouted back. His voice never echoed back to him. It was like the sound had been swallowed up whole. "Get out here and fight for real!"

There was a long pause in which he thought maybe he was being ignored. Finally, that voice said with a deadly calm that Sanzo would have been rpoud of, "Are you certain you want to? You'll die you know."

"Why, cuz you're fucking God? Heh, if that's true then I'm an atheist!"

Kami-Sama's laughter was quickly followed by the familiar rattle of beads sliding against beads. Gojyo screamed as several strands exploded through him, coming out the other side and missing anything important... as far as he knew. They withdrew quickly and he fell to the ground. He got up, wincing at the burn of freshly made wounds and whirled when he heard the beads just in time to catch another round right through his arms and thighs. Shit! This time when he fell he stayed down, trying to relearn how to breathe. Doubt began to creep in that he might actually lose this fight.

Soft sandaled footsteps drew his attention near his feet. Kami-Sama squatted near him, a pout coming to his lips. "Did I break you already? Aw... and I was having such a good time, too!"

Gojyo grinned wickedly and kicked out, aiming for the prick's groin. The only satisfaction he got was the startled expression followed quickly by laughter as Kami-Sama dodged the attack easily.

"Wow, you almost got me there! This is a fun game, isn't it? You're so much sturdier than the other ones."

He managed to get himself into a crouched position facing the enemy. Kami-Sama's hands slid down a length of beads, eyes alert and watchful. At least the laughter had stopped for now. "Look, I just want you to answer my question from earlier. What in fuck's sake would make you turn two little boys into murderers just so you can kill them when they're done."

A puzzled expression crossed over that beautiful face. "Two little... ooooh, so this is about those two?" He gave an embarassed little smile and shrugged. "I wanted some new toys. I sent them to get me some and they didn't. They were mine, you know. Those two belonged to me. And I'll do whatever I want with what's mine."

The utter disregard for the twins was... damn, it just sucked! Sanzo was cold, but he wasn't like this. This guy was crazy-insane! He acted as if the lives of Ginkaku and Kinkaku didn't even matter. Well, they DID matter! The mattered a great deal... and he was going to be the one to teach this bastard that! "Burn in hell, asshole!" He managed to get more speed than he would have thought possible for bleeding as much as he was and made a run for punch out that smiling face.

Beads flew out of nowhere, wrapping around his neck and lifting him clear off the ground. He winced as the strands tightened painfully, each individual bead grinding itself into his neck. The air was trying to get to his starving lungs but couldn't. Blackness as eating at his vision.

"But that's okay because now I have you. You can be my new toy! We're going to have such fun. We can play this game whenever we want, and hide 'n' seek, and-,"

**BANG!**

Gojyo dropped to the floor as the beaded strands suddenly snapped. Coughing and pulling the remainders away, his fingers felt around the bumps that had been pressed into his skin. He turned watery eyes over to the doorway at three very familiar silhouettes.

"You pathetic little tart!"

"So glad... you're getting creative... asswipe," he replied. He should have known they'd follow him here.

Rapid footsteps and a wordless growl was all the warning he had before Goku's boot connected with his jaw. "You damn water sprite! Take that, an' that!"

"Ow, for the luvva-,"

He rolled away across the floor from Goku's boot... only to get a sharp blow to his gut. "Ha...kkai?"

"I did warn you, Gojyo, about using cans as ashtrays," the green-eyed man replied with one of his creepy-assed smiles. Oh, shit... he was in for one major ass kicking! He groaned when a third kick came to his ass.

"Do you know how long it took us to track your ass down?" Sanzo snarled.

Gojyo spit blood from his cracked lip and grinned. "What, did the stairs give you trouble, O Exhaulted One?"

The monk's eyes promised him a slow death before he said firmly, "Sorry to bust up your litle game, but the disposal of this waste of flesh is rightfully ours. We'll be taking him now to pick a grave sight."

Kami-Sama only gave an angelic curl of lip. "No, no... you've got it wrong, mister. I'm not letting you walk out with my new toy!"

The gun clicked as Sanzo aimed it right at the other man's chest. "I highly suggest you stay out of our affairs. We don't take well to dumb shits like yourself getting in our way."

"Yes... but he's mine. I claimed him."

"Forgive me," Hakkai interupted coldly. "But I don't seem to recall anyone just handing Gojyo over to you."

"I sure as hell didn't," Goku added.

Unbelievable! They were talking about him likehe wasn't even THERE! And what was this bullshit about 'claiming' him and 'handing' him over? Huh... goddamn bastards! "HEY! Just for the record one, I am NOT your fucking toy! Two, none of you cocksuckers are handing over shit. Three, _I_ get to kill this girlie punk! You three honestly thought I'd just leave after dragging my ass up those stairs, going through some freaky-assed fog and being called stupid by some guy with a toy fetish? Uh-uh, not me, man! I cam to kill this fucker, and I'm gonna do it!"

Violet eyes glittered with something Gojyo would almost call amusement. Arching a single brow, Sanzo cut back, "You were losing when we showed up."

"HUH?" Losing... the hell he was. Okay, maybe he was a little bit, but the monk had no right calling him on it!

"And bailing you out of yet another predicament will add some zest to the ass kicking you're in for later," Hakkai added, cracking his knuckles slowly. He knew Gojyo hated that sound mroe than anything in the world!

"C'mon, less talkie more fightie," Goku shouted, bouncing up and down excitedly.

Gojyo shook his head, getting to his feet slowly. This was just too much... Pinching Goku's cheeks and pulling, he said, "Aw... how cute! The little monkey thinks he's got some big rocks!"

"Hey, lemme go ya hairy faced pervert!" Goku shoved him back but he held onto the cheek. The kid howled louder as his cheek went with Gojyo. "OOOOOOW!"

"Aha... ahaha... AHAHAHAHAHAAA!"

Gojyo stopped picking on Goku in order to glare at that God-awful laugh. He could tell it was beginning to get on even Hakkai's nerves now. Good... let 'em wail on someone who deserves it!

Kami-Sama finally managed to get a breath in, wiping his eyes. "You four are just too funny! You really think you can beat me? Ahaha... sorry, but it's just so precious! you're all so weak, so very weak. Never in a zillion years could you do that."

"Seeing as zillion is not exactly a proved mathematical number, I guess that means we can," Hakkai said with a casual shrug. Trust him to know that sort of useless shit.

"Hey, you! You're a sanzo priest too, right?"

Even Hakkai stepped back from Sanzo when that voice was directed at the pissy monk. Gojyo grinned. Fine, the little bastard wanted to test Sanzo's aim, he was welcome to it. Sanzo glared, finger tightening a little on the trigger. "What do you care?"

"I care a great deal. See, I don't think you're worthy of the job!"

The gun exploded, the bullet breaking off a healthy chunk of wall where Kami-Sama should have been. His laughter echoed around again, forcing them all into the center, backs together. "Uh-oh, now he's mad! Did I strike a nerve?"

"Grr... EAT THIS!" Goku had spotted him first and moved with unheard of speed. His nyoi-bo crushed through layers of rock, sending it showering everywhere.

"Whoa... that was one heck of a blow. I'm glad I dodged that!"

"Goku, get down," Hakkai shouted moments before a blast of chi was sent straight at Kami-Sama's back. The entire wall exploded, leaving a gaping hole out to safety. For once, the option of just leaving really appealed to Gojyo. But to come all this way to kill this guy and leave him alive and laughing was not an option. He'd settle for just bruising the jerk right about now!

"Now see, that wasn't very nice at all! You broke my palace... I hope you're going to pay for that."

"How 'bout you stop actin' like a girl an' show us what you've really got?" Goku growled, eyes narrowed and looking feral.

Kami-Sama stood up on the ruins of his wall. That slow, perfect smile returned to his lips. "If you insist. But only a little bit. I don't want you to die quite yet." He pulled something from his robe, something golden that looked oddly like an arm weight.

Gojyo was about to ask what the hell that thing was when beads started whizzing around everywhere. He had a moment to register that they were all about to die before he fell back, pain shooting through him instantly. This was not good at all!

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo fell to the ground, keeping a tight grip on his gun. He couldn't move... he knew he wasn't paralyzed but he wasn't able to get up. Something wet and thick slid from his nose down his cheek. He knew it was his own blood, he could see it pooling underneath his body. He could see the others from him place on the floor. Hakkai against the wall coughing blood into his hands... Gojyo with a hand pressed to his chest, eyes scrunched shut tightly... Goku...

"AAAAAAAH! AHHHHH!"

That was Goku screaming. He wanted to lift the gun and aim it at the back crouched over his charge. Kami-Sama was saying something to the boy but he couldn't quite make it out. Goku's thoughts crashed into him, reeling with panic and screaming for help.

_It hurts, it hurts... it hurts so bad... make it stop... make him go away... SANZO!_

The best he could do was try and calm the boy down. Trying to focus his attention on their link, Sanzo sent back soothing feelings, ordering him to relax and stop screaming. Goku's scream grew louder, his body arching off the ground and then... nothing. It was the silence on that end that had him worried. This was the first time he could ever remember not being able to hear anything from Goku.

Sanzo managed to roll his eyes up as Kami-Sama crouched before him, still smiling. Blood covered his hands, his fingers holding a single bead. "Did you think all four of you together could defeat me? I feel kinda bad for you all. But it was your own fault rushing in and pretending to be heroes. Hey... you're a sanzo. Have you ever heard of _muichimotsu_?"

His eyes widened. _Muichimotsu_... it was something his master had taught him long ago. 'Hold nothing'. Besides dragging up memories from the past, what did that have to do with anything?

"It means 'hold nothing', in case you didn't know. My master taught it to me. It teaches us not to become attached to things because it makes us weak. You're weak because you're too attached to life and to winning."

A hand came into view, reaching for his shoulders. _No... NO!_ He wanted desperately to scream that one word in this bastard's face. The Maten Sutra was HIS! It was given to him by his master, who named him a sanzo. This guy was a fake! He shouldn't be touching it... he had to stop it. He tried to move but failed. Sanzo closed his eyes as the Maten Sutra was practically ripped from his shoulders and waved around disrespectfully in the air like a banner.

"You're not worthy of the title or the job."

Not worthy... fuck him! Fuck him six different ways and then fuck him all over again! He didn't know shit about the job or the title! Sanzo managed to get his arm up at last, gun almost aimed at his chest...

A sharp kick just under his jaw sent him sprawling onto his back, coughing hard. He felt like his entire head was ready to just pour out his ears. This was all wrong... the sutra... he couldn't die yet...

"Everyone's the same. They come in ready to die... and yet when the time comes, they're all afraid. Are you afraid, mister? It must be awful for you, dying in a place like this. What a pathetic way to go!"

Sanzo blinked, fighting back the darkness that threatened to pull him under. He couldn't black out yet. He had to at least try once more. Blinking wasn't helping much. He could still hear Kami-Sama talking, even saw a blurred image of that shape coming over to him. But the words were muted and unclear and as he blinked again, his realized he couldn't open his eyes. The darkness roared over him and dragged him down at last.

>>>>>>>>>>

Around midnight in the small town of Shussan, Sarat the owner of the inn/bar, was woken rudely from his sleep by someone banging on the door. He wondered briefly, as he fumbled his glasses on, where his son-in-law was. Usually he took the late night-early morning shift. He was probably off gambling again. Why his daughter married someone like that was beyond him.

The pounding continued as he flicked on the lights, blinking at the sudden brightness. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Just hang on a..." His words left him as he finally opened the door.

Those four men from before... the red haired one gave him a quick twitch of a guilty smile as he tried to support his barely comatose friend with the green eyes. Sarat had never seen so much blood before in his life outside of a birthing room (his third hat was the one of the town doctor) and glanced behind the red head to see the other two in about the same condition.

"Sorry, pops, but you got a room available?" the red head asked before falling to the floor and taking his friend with him.

"Ming! MING! I need some help down here! Hurry. and bring my medicine bag!" Sarat quickly knelt on the floor and began to find where exactly they were bleeding from.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone pushed away from the wall when she saw the familiar bulk of Dokugakuji coming down the hall. His face was burned a brilliant red and he was walking as if his jacket was rubbing painfully against some more sunburn. "Welcome back," she said in way of greeting.

Before she could stop him, he gave her a big hug. "I know, I know... I'm sunburned and stupid for huggin you when I'm obviously not feelin' too good," he teased. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"Is it true you have a scripture?"

He nodded against her shoulder before pushing away. He looked exhausted! And he probably was, too. "it about killed me to do it, but I got it. Had to dig up half the damn desert, too! So, how have things been around here? Is Kou okay?"

Yaone couldn't look at him or answer. The truth was, she had no idea. Dokugakuji had been away an entire MONTH... and she didn't know squat! She'd tried everything she could think of, from bribing the guards to even asking Dr. Huan. Dr. Huan had simply glared at her and stalked off. That had been three days ago. Rubbing her arm, she whispered, "It's been a month, Dokugakuji. Those wounds were serious, I know, but they shouldn't have taken a month to heal. They won't let anyone see him and I've been followed everywhere. All I've been doing is worrying that maybe he's-,"

The intercom clicked on with an ear piercing screech. Dokugakuji glared up at the thing. "What the hell?"

"It was installed while you were out," she explained over the tinny noise.

"Attention, everyone! Would Yaone and Dokugakuji please report to Rasetsunyo's tomb at once. Your presence has been requested by one of the royal family."

Yaone froze, shocked. It couldn't be... Without another word, they both ran for the room, neither one daring to give voice to the hope that maybe it just WAS...

She slammed into his back when he haulted suddenly in the open door way. "K-Kou? Is that you?"

Yaone followed him in, light headed to the point where she thought she might faint. "Lord Kougaiji?" It was him alright. And he appeared to be just fine! He turned slightly at his name but didn't say a word. She couldn't believe it! All that worry and doubt... and he was just fine! It made her think slightly better of Dr. Nii.

She was right behind Dokugakuji as they approached their lord, who still had his back to them. "My lord, are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

"Shit, did they actually HEAL you? You look-,"

The sharp sound of Kougaiji hitting Dokugakuji's hand away carried in the empty room. "Don't touch me," he said coldly.

Yaone's stomach did a backflip, her hand coming to her mouth. No...

"It would be adviced not to touch our dear princie, seeing as he'd sooner rip your hand off than shake it," Dr. Nii's voice crackled delightedly over the intercom.

It was just like Bilal... Yaone stepped back, horrified by the icy glare Kougaiji directed at her. The barest flicker of acknowledgement and then back to the emptiness. No...

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Doku shouted.

"Do? Aw... you make it sound so dirty! The prince desired more power... and that's what I gave him. He couldn't obtain it before because of his soft heart. So... I took the sentimentality out of him. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Turn him back! This isn't Kou, it's not even a good copy! Undo whatever the fuck you did to him!"

Yaone's eyes locked and held with that empty gaze. There was no warmth there, nothing left of the man she knew. This wasn't the Kougaiji who risked his life to save her over and over again. This wasn't the man who was so incredibly gentle and sincere with his sister. What stood before her now was a monster, something created in a laboratory for Gyokumen Koushu's amusement!

"Oh, so you want him to be a pussy again? Hmm... while I do love a good pussy, I'm afraid I can't. Orders, you know. But now let me ask you a question, Dokugakuji. To whom was your loyalty REALLY directed to? Was it to our big hearted prince... or was it more to the memory of the brother you failed to protect?"

Dokugakuji's back tensed, eyes widening a touch. His hands balled into angry fists. "You bastard..."

"Calm down, _Sha Jien_. You're pouting like a little boy who only wanted to follow his big brother around."

"Dokugakuji, don't listen to him," Yaone shouted, tears balanced and ready fall any minute. She stepped in front of Kougaiji, making eye contact again. "My lord? Kougaiji? Please, come back to us! We need you..." She stopped as he shoved by her, walking out the door. She glanced back at Dokugakuji standing there like he'd been slapped in the face and hesitated only a moment before she ran to catch up with Kougaiji.

He was heading for the throne room, menace pouring off him in waves. Yaone held her breath and stepped forward close enough that he could see her but she wasn't touching him. Indigo eyes glanced at her out of the corner before sliding back forward. "I didn't summon you, servant."

She flinched at being called that. "I know, my lord. But I want to follow you," she whispered back. She remained tense, almost expecting him to shout at her, hit her or do SOMETHING!

Instead, he ignored her, pushing the doors open to the throne room.

Gyokumen Koushu sat on her throne, her hair down and being brushed out by a servant. Her red lips lifted in a smile. "Do come in, Kougaiji. And how nice of you to join us as well, Yaone."

Yaone saw that not only was Dr. Nii there but Zakuro as well. Zakuro made a kissing motion with his lips, causing her to shudder. And Kougaiji did nothing about it. If he were his true self, Zakuro would have been scraping his bowels off the floor with his tongue. She kneeled down before Lady Koushu and almost fell over when Kougaiji did the same.

"Yaone, stand over there and watch. One word out of you and it'll be five lashes."

She obediently went to stand to one side, barely able to breathe she was so nervous. She was shaking so badly she had to hug her arms around her stomach.

There were several tense minutes in which Kougaiji remained kneeling and Gyokumen Koushu remained smiling, her hair being brushed out slowly and carefully. "He's so well behaved now, Dr. Nii," she finally purred, red nails clicking on the arms of her throne. "He used to glare at me so, like I was trash... but now," she let out a chilling laugh. 'Now, he'll do whatever I want, correct?"

"That's right mistress," Dr. Nii grinned, not bothering to hide the fact he was staring at her mostly naked breasts.

"Hmm... I do believe this warrants a little test." Her hand suddenly flicked out, a single finger pointing at the man who'd been brushing her hair. "Kougaiji, do you see him? I want you to kill him!"

Kougaiji stood up like he was pulled on strings. The man began to back away fearfully as he came up the steps, the very picture of predator. Yaone covered her mouth to keep from shouting. He wouldn't... not Kougaiji...

"P-Please, mistress! Have mercy! I've done nothing but-,"

"Spare me. You did a horrible job with my hair," Lady Koushu bit out sharply. Her eyes narrowed as Kougaiji haulted in front of the quaking man. "Well, Kougaiji? I'm waiting."

"NO, LORD KOUGAIJI, DON'T DO-," Yaone covered her eyes when his hand shot out to grip the neck. There was a sharp cracking sound and then a thud as the body hit the ground. The man hadn't even screamed. Slowly lowering her hands, Yaone stared in shock. Blood coated his claws from where they'd broken through the skin. Not one sign that the death had bothered him... She fell to her knees, closing her eyes.

"Well, mistress?"

"He still got blood on me," she answered. "but this will do just fine. Kougaiji!"

Yaone's eyes snapped open again at the sharp command. She backed away as carefully as she could, fearful that he would be ordered to kill her next. To die at the hands of the one she devoted her life to... It was unbearable to think of!

"I want you to find Genjyo Sanzo. I want you to make him bleed and suffer and beg for death before you kill him. And I want you to bring back the Maten Sutra."

Kougaiji left in a swirl of white and without a word. Yaone stared numbly after him. She was torn between what hurt more; watching the man she considered her savior kill someone without remorse or hearing the orders for him to kill the man she loved.

"Yaone."

She turned slowly to that voice.

"You said five words. That's twenty-five lashes. Strip down and assume the position. Zakuro will be dealing out your punishment."

Yaone shook her head as Zakuro grinned at her, the whip uncoiling at his side. Slowly, she stood up, fingers working the buttons to her dress slowly. Gyokumen Koushu stood up, giving her a sweet smile before she left the room with Dr. Nii in tow. She turned her back to finish undressing, the garment pooling on the floor at her feet. Her cheeks burned as she felt that gaze on her back. His footsteps sounded loudly as he took his time getting down the steps, coming closer to her.

"This is almost exactly as I fantasized it would be," he commented. The whip swished against the marble floor.

"Funny, I never gave it a second thought. It wasn't any good the first time around," Yaone shot back, trying to egg him on and get it over with faster.

The first stroke fell hard and made her jump. This time, there was no one to take her place. She would have to bear the punishment herself.


	16. Chapter 16

Mahjong. Of all the things to pick... Go Fish, Black Jack or some other random stupid game he would have expected. But Mahjong? When did Goku suddenly become so goddamn smart? Sanzo reloaded, flipping the chamber closed before taking aim across the back yard of the inn. Sarat, the owner, had made an impromptu firing range for him out of unused barrels with wooden planks on top and rows of empty glass bottles from the bar. About half of them were from Gojyo alone, he was sure of it. He squeezed the trigger and watched as a myriad of colors burst everywhere. Blues, greens, browns... a few reddish colored pieces.

This was the first day he'd been allowed up in almost a week... no, wait. It had been longer than that. He'd been out cold for four days. And then bedridden for two more when he'd accidentally pulled stitches free in his attempts to get up and leave. So, really, it was more like two weeks. No wonder he felt so damn weak! He rotated his shoulder a little, wincing as the fresh scars pulled tightly. Sarat and his family had done a hell of a job sewing him up. For the most part, the scars were going to be very faint. It was the four that had been reopened that were going to remain visible. No matter.

He reloaded, aimed and fired again. Goku FINALLY allowed Sarat's daughter to take a look at him, after the mahjong. Mahjong... Once again, Goku surprised them all with his simple logic. _It's easy to win against guys who decide to lose..._ Damn. How was he suppose to refute something like that? Sanzo allowed himself a smile before shooting off another round. That was it. He was out of bottles. Time to test this on something with flesh... like the idiot who dared to take what belonged to him!Clapping alerted him to Gojyo's presence. He glanced over as he reloaded once again at the red-head coming over.

"Nicely done, Most Holy Of Holies," Gojyo mocked. "And look, you didn't even have to move from your spot!"

"Do me a favor and stand over there. I'm out of targets."

Gojyo glared at him before taking a final hit and flicking his cigarette away. "You are such a prick! Hakkai sent me out to find your holy ass and ask you what time we're leaving tomorrow."

Hakkai knew him too well. He hadn't actually told them yet he wanted to cut out tomorrow. The cigarette smoke wafting over triggered his own need and he pulled his pack from the back of his jeans pocket. Gojyo tossed him a lighter (which was actually his to begin with) and he took a deep breath in, sucking down the nicotine like some people sucked down water. "Early. It's a long enough drive to get to that place. I want to give Kami-Sama a wake up call we won't live long enough to forget."

"Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! I'll go tell Hakkai we're leaving at the ass crack of dawn." Gojyo was on his way in when he paused, glancing back through a fall of crimson hair. "You scared the shit out of me, just so you know."

What was this, the kappa getting emotional? The concern touched him but not enough for him to acknowledge it. "Stop trying to hit on me, you damn pervert."

Gojyo winked and gave him a saucy smile. "You're so cute when you're outraged!"

Sanzo aimed the gun and fired just as the red-head disappeared around the corner. Damn!

>>>>>>>>>>

"Dumplings."

"Just plain dumplings?" Hakkai asked Goku, smiling.

Goku shrugged. "All kinds. Plain, chicken, beef, shrimp... some in brown sauce others with sweet and sour... maybe we can get some of those yummy sweet ones with the frosting!"

"Get extra frosting," Gojyo advised with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. "Sarat's daughter was hot."

"What does that have to do with frosting?" Goku demanded.

"It's for rubbing on her-,"

"Spring rolls."

The other three stopped at the random joining in from Sanzo. The hike up the stairs to Kami-Sama's palace was tiring on all of them. Goku, as usual, had started talking about food. They'd been talking about it for almost twenty minutes now.

"Um... what about them, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked. Surely he didn't mean spring rolls with frosting!

"I want spring rolls when we get back," the monk continued, sweat beading on his brow. The only one who wasn't exerted by the long walk was Goku. He still seemed to have tons of energy and hadn't even broken a sweat yet.

"Spring rolls sound wonderful! Vegetable or other?"

"Crab."

"Ha, how appropriate," Gojyo responded.

"And peanut butter."

Even Goku looked up in confusion at that random food item. "Peanut butter?" the boy asked.

"I want the biggest fucking jar of peanut butter, and if any of you tries to take it from me you're dead."

No one really knew if he was joking or not. Hakkai laughed nervously and increased the distance between him and the monk. Goku was still trying to figure out how peanut butter and crab spring rolls went together. And judging from the look on Gojyo's face he was coming up with new and creative ways in which peanut butter and their host's daughter could be combined.

"Think she's a virgin?"

"EW!" Goku exclaimed, glaring at Gojyo. Hakkai blushed and refused to answer. "That's so gross!"

"How do YOU know?" Gojyo drawled, headlocking Goku and rubbing his knuckles in hard. "Maybe if you went out every once in a while and got-,"

"Shut it," Sanzo snarled. "The last thing we need is a horny monkey on top of a perverted kappa."

"Was the double entendre intended, Sanzo?" Hakkai questioned, smiling innocently when Goku and Gojyo realized what he was implying and fought to get away from each other.

"Hmph, didn't really think about that. You're dirtier than you look, Hakkai."

All four of them looked up when they heard a familiar laugh. Kami-Sama stood on the stairs in front of them, shrouded in mist. They walked on, letting the thick air surround them completely. "You came back! Are you really still curious about me? I thought I made it clear. There's no way you can ever beat me. Not now, not next year, not in a-,"

**BANG!**

Sanzo fired as he walked by, not even bothering to stop in his tracks. "Didn't I tell you before to shut up?"

As predicted, the body exploded in a wash of red beads. The four continued trudging up the stairs, disappearing behind heavy rolls of fog and mist.

>>>>>>>>>>

Dr. Huan paced in front of the machine, checking dials and vitals for the one inside. Officially labeled as 016041, Princess Lirin floated in the thick gelatenous substance, a faint orange light coming from below. Heart rate was good... breathing regular...brain waves steady. She walked around the machine to see just how much energy the girl was putting out. She frowned, adjusting her glasses. Not nearly as much as they had expected. Unfortunately, they couldn't use the prince for this. Gyokumen Koushu's orders. She had some crazy notion of making the prince her new pet. Fine, if the project didn't get done when she wanted it, that was her own fault!

Heels clicking as she walked across the hard floor, she sat down at the computer and began entering the new results. The activity in the brain suggested the girl was feeling depressed. Not surprising, really, considering the circumstances. A scanned image of Lirin's body came into view, fuzzy and not completely clear, but enough so that she could detect the faint movement of lips. The girl was saying something over and over... three syllables... It wasn't relavent to the project in anyway, she was just satisfying her own curiousity.

"How's our little princess today?" someone drawled over her shoulder.

Dr. Huan jumped, hand going to her chest when she saw Dr. Ni leering over her shoulder. "Just as she was yesterday," she replied tightly. "All her vitals are stable and healthy, but her psyche reports indicate she's becoming more and more depressed. I strongly believe this may be the reason our results aren't what we wish them to be."

Smiling, cigarette still unlit in his mouth, Dr. Ni made a point of looking down her black shirt. Dr. Huan blushed angrily. "Maybe if she were staring at something... pleasant... she might cheer up a bit," he suggested, the grin turning lewd and more than a little suggestive.

Scoffing in disgust, she swiveled her chair away from him, going to yet another monitor. "And how did Lady Koushu like Prince Kougaiji?"

"Oh, she liked him well enough. He's already left to go after the Sanzo party and collect the Maten Sutra for our little collection."

Dr. Huan glanced over at the heavy wooden box sitting to one side of the cluttered work space. It was the only area kept spotlessly clean and tidy. She'd always found it strange how Dr. Ni could be so disrespectful and irreverent toward anything but science... and the sutras. So far, they had the Seitan Sutra taken from Koumyou Sanzo's dead shoulders. Dokugakuji found another. Kougaiji was tracking down the Maten. And the Muten Sutra... was a mystery. All the others were documented or they knew the whereabouts. The Muten was the only one without any files or charts on it.

Her back stiffened when Dr. Ni's labcoat brushed against her arm. He leaned over again, peering intently at the screen. "Say... is that vanilla you're wearing?"

"God... you're so disgusting!" Dr. Huan turned her face away as he leaned down, taking an appreciative sniff.

"Mm... smells yummy. By the way, your calculations are wrong."

"EXCUSE ME?"

Chuckling at her indignance, he reached around her, an arm on either side, and began fixing the error. Dr. Huan's cheeks grew even more red, her chest rising and falling as she fought not to slap the face pressed up close to hers. "See? You didn't account for the probability of this factor here. A good thing I came by, isn't it?"

She shrugged his arms away from her keyboard, glaring at him. "Don't you have anything better to do?" she snapped.

"Um... nope! Until our little bunny returns with the Maten Sutra, my work is all done. And when there's no more work, it's time to play!"

Dr. Huan shuddered and closed her eyes. Such an infuriating man! Gathering her notes, she shoved her chair back and stood up, glaring as he leaned up against the lab top, pulling out a book of matches. "Dr. Ni, may I ask you a question?"

"Shoot. I'm always glad to enlighten simple minds."

Gritting her teeth at the implied insult, she said tightly, "I was trying to find documentation about the Muten Sutra the other day. It appears we have no record of it's retrieval or even which sanzo carried it."

"Then it's either a mystery... or a secret. And if it were a mystery, someone would have left you clues. But since there's no clues to be had, it appears it's a secret." He snickered, tossing his bunny into the air and catching it roughly by its ears.

"A secret? Do you know it?"

"Tell you what, Dr. Huan," he replied as he started for the door. "I'll tell you the secret of the Muten Sutra... but you need to tell me if you're wearing lace, satin or cotton panties."

Dr. Huan stamped her foot and stormed out of the lab with his laughter stinging her ears. If he weren't her superior... men! What good were they?

>>>>>>>>>>

Why did it always hurt more the second time around? Sanzo hit the ground, rolling off the toy pile. Fresh blood covered stuffed animals, dripping onto the ground. Shit... he knew the beads would hurt, but they seemed to be packing more of a punch now. Slowly, he pushed to his knees, gritting his teeth. His side was nothing more tha a burning wash of pain and when he pulled his hand away from one of the many holes it was wet and sticky. Goku steadied himself on his nyoi-no, spitting blood from the corner of his mouth. Gojyo was on the other side, one eye closing as the same dark fluid covering all of them leaked into his eye. Hakkai's soft groan accompanied him getting up somewhere behind him.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Sanzo bit out, watching as those laughing eyes turned to fear and disbelief. "We made a bet on this... but we're not gambling our lives."

The man backed away, sweat beading his brow and dripping down his cheeks. "W-What? I don't... Meanies! I don't care how many times you try, you can't beat me! You're weak and you'll never be able to touch me!"

"Get ready," Hakkai warned shortly before the beads flew through the room again, bouncing off the walls and ricocheting back into them. Sanzo dropped again, choking on the blood in his throat. He was NOT going to die because of this loser! His hand slipped from under him, too slick to keep him up. He hissed when he slammed into the floor, blinking away the black dots in front of his eyes. Someone grabbed his wrist and hauled him up. Goku took his entire weight for a moment, giving him a fierce look that dared him to argue over being helped.

"Man... that one got a little too close to Junior," Gojyo observed, limping closer. Hakkai chuckled and came up on Goku's other side.

Kami-Sama made some inarticulate sound of frustration, fingers clenching his hair angrily. "Why won't you guys just stop it? I've won, I always win, no matter what game we're playing! So why don't you just stop being stubborn and die?"

"Damn it, how many times do I have to say this? We're not here to die, we're here to win."

"Grr... master always said stubborn boys don't get the girls!"

"Eh?" Gojyo asked, raising a dubious brow. "Dude, you've obviously been cock blocked a couple too many times. And what the hell does THAT have to do with anything?"

Those words finally clicked together with the nightmarish memory flashes from when he'd been out. That was why this guy looked so familiar... at the temple. He was thirteen at the time and another sanzo had come to see his master. He'd brought one of his followers with him. A boy, only a year or two younger than himself, who was the most unusual person he'd ever met. Childish, spiteful, jealous... those were some of the nicer words that came to mind. And he'd said something very similar to that.

Still keeping a hand pressed to the wound in his side, he said, "Ukoku... right?"

A small smile came to his lips at the gasp of shock from the other man. Kami-Sama backed away a couple steps, noticeably shaken. "H-How did you...?"

"It took a while. I tend to repress things that pissed me off. You don't remember me? Ten years ago, we met. And you haven't changed much at all."

"WHAT?" Goku exclaimed. "Ya mean he's a REAL sanzo?"

"Even better as far as I'm concerned," Gojyo added, gripping the shaft of his shakujo tighter. "I've been wanting a piece of REAL sanzo ass for about two weeks now!"

'Kami-Sama' smiled softly, almost bitterly, and answered without acknowledgin Gojyo. At least he knew enough to ignore idiots! "My master... is an amazing man. He's a genius! He built this castle for me and gave it to me to look after. He declared me a priest. So, you see, I really AM a sanzo."

Sanzo stood up, ignoring the fresh pain that came when he pulled his hand away. He knew he didn't have a whole lot of time before the loos of blood caught up with him, so he'd have to act quickly. 'Kami-Sama' acted like a child. It only made logical sense that, like an angry child, he would react without thinking when provoked. And provoking people happened to be a talent of his. "That's bullshit. Your master may have been a sanzo, but if he really passed the title on to you... where the hell is your sutra?"

Hakkai was moving over a little more and so was Gojyo. They were fanning out, getting ready. Goku stood by his side, eyes narrowed and focused. "You went through a lot of trouble to take mine," he continued when those startled eyes wavered a little. "That's because you never inherited one for yourself."

"Shut up!"

He didn't like taking orders, especially from some wannabe sanzo priest. "And you never told us your real name, either. It was always 'I'm Kami-Sama'. If you're a true sanzo, what's your Buddhist name? Because you're about as godlike as any of us!" He almost expected Gojyo to say something about plenty of women screaming 'God' when he was around and was mildly surprised when it never came. Huh, so the kappa DID know when to keep his damn mouth shut!

"S-SHUT UP!"

"You may look the part, but that's about it as far as you being a sanzo! Your master lied to you." 'Kami-Sama's' hands went to his ears, as if trying to block out the sound of his voice. He curled up on himself briefly before...

"**SHUT UP!**"

"WATCH IT!" Sanzo felt the spell break over them a moment before something clamped around his ankle. What the... he looked down and saw a teddy bear missing one eye staring up at him. He kicked it off and into a wall where it got back up and toddled over to the rest of the pile.

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Goku hollered, hands working quickly to pull the toys climbing over him off. 'Kami-Sama' was laughing from where he stood, looking as delighted as a spoiled brat. Sanzo felt something on the back of his neck and grabbed the doll by her hair, again throwing it far away from him. Something wasn't right about this. These were real toys, not shikigamis like he'd half expected. The spell hadn't been one powerful enough to make them all real. It was more like a wake-up call or a summoning. But what did he summon?

"There's too many of them," Hakkai choked out. He had fallen to his knees again, almosty completely over run by the toys. Gojyo was trying to pry them off of Hakkai, completely oblivious to his own peril. Sanzo hissed when wooden teeth bit down hard on his arm, drawing blood. He punched the little rabbit in the face over and over and all it did was bite down harder. Damn it... how could a bit of fluff have SUCH a hard fucking jaw?

Goku was struggling for breath, eyes wide and a little frightened as the toys finally found a way to subdue even him. One of those wind up ones had looped its cord around the boy's neck and was steadily pulling it tighter. Goku's fingers caught on that cord, wincing and face turning red as he struggled to keep it from closing around him. Sanzo pulled them gun and fired, missing when he was finally tripped over, the dolls swarming over him and pinning his arms to either side. Whatever was in them made them strong, like hundreds of people-type strong.

"Ahahaha... don't you LOVE them? They're my toy army," 'Kami-Sama' explained. Oh, good, the part where the bad guys explained their evil plot shortly before they got an ass kicking of the most extreme kind. Sanzo managed to keep getting shallow breaths into his lungs, but it wasn't going to be enough. His head felt like he'd been hung upside down for an hour or so, all the blood trapped and making him dizzy. Every time he blinked and opened his eyes there seemed to be more of those little floating black dots. He tried once again to move his gun hand... no luck.

"They used to be souls... but you broke the tool that made them, so you can't join my collection."

All he could see now of Gojyo was a hand clawing at the smooth floor as he tried to drag himself free. Hakkai wasn't much better off, still up on one forearm but it was obviously straining him. Goku 's body wa spasming a little as he tried to flail his way free, mouth working but now sound coming out. Any thoughts he picked up were wild and incoherent, nothing but the panicked need to get air. Little image flashes that were there and gone in a dizzying whirlwind. Sanzo closed his eyes and forced that link shut. He was light-headed enough without the monkey making it worse!

"See, I told you my master was a genius! He made all these toys for me, and showed me how. He said that everything alive is God's personal toy! And, since these are MY toys... that means I really AM God!"

This bullshit was getting to be boring. The same thing over and over again about being God and whatnot. Utter nonsense! These toys were the souls of the people trapped in that gourd. They were dead already, slaves now to whatever this pyschotic prick wanted. He couldn't speak from the pressure of those stuffed hands squeezing around his throat, but he didn't have to. It wasn't the words that mattered so much as the thought and will behind them. His master had taught him that. His lips began to move and immediately he felt the sort of internal click as the Maten Sutra responded to him, a real sanzo priest. It didn't matter who's shoulders bore it, the Maten Sutra was his to control and use.

'Kami-Sama' looked down as the sutra began to come alive on his shoulders. "What... I didn't do this... why is it...?" His eyes fell to Sanzo and narrowed as he finally understood. "Stop that!"

He desperately wanted to tell him to fuck off but doing that would break his consentration. He continued to mouth the spell, nails trying to dig into the floor beneath as the dolls squeezed even hard. He was almost there, just the key phrase to release it entirely... "M-Makai... Tenjyo!"

The Maten Sutra flared completely to life, the power contained in it exploding outward in a rush of violent purple glow. The rushing wind that always came and helped spread the spell around carried with it all the toys. Sanzo sat up, sucking in air greedily as they were peeled off of him. He could hear all the screams from the souls in those toys as they were finally sent into the great beyond. All those voices crashing into him at once... If anyone wanted to kill him, this was their chance. He was almost completely blinded by all those voices screaming together inside his head. This was why he hated using the scripture for every situation they got themselves into. He'd sent so many people to their graves, both youkai and human, and hearing them reminded him that they were his welcoming committee in hell.

_SANZO! Sanzo, are you alright? Answer me!_

Sanzo opened his eyes, the sutra still working to disperse all those souls. Goku... His voice cut through all the others and pulled him back. It always seemed to do that. He stood up slowly, tucking his gun away. 'Kami-Sama was screaming, pulling on his hair and stamping his feet angrily. So pathetic! The Maten Sutra was almost done, just a few toys left still trying to cower away from it. Turning to the man still screaming wordlessly, he bit out, "So... what were you saying about these toys? I missed that."

"ARRRRGH! You... You..."

"You pathetic piece of shit! If your ass studied under me, I wouldn't give you anything." He held his hand up, knowing the sutra would come to the one who summoned it. The solid weight of the neatly rolled scroll hit his palm, the paper cool against his skin and probably the most welcoming thing in the world right then. He'd gotten what belonged to him... now to settle up the asshole who dared to try and take it in the first place. "Not one damn thing."

Wild eyes glowered up at him. 'Kami-Sama was breathing hard, hair wet and hanging in his eyes. The heavenly beauty that had first been there was replaced with an almost crazed expression. No longer a happy child, he thought to himself. 'Kami-Sama' held his hand out, wiggling his fingers. "Give it back!"

"I refuse."

"Give it back! Giveitbackgiveitback... Give. It. BACK!" He brought his hand back, the devise controling the beads flashing a little. Red beads began to form in the air and started to move as he brought his wrist down.

A tanned hand caught that wrist, squeezing tightly. Gojyo flashed a cruel smile as he hefted the human off his feet with one arm. 'Kami-Sama's eyes widened shortly before he ran his hand down a strand of beads, grinning maliciously. They tore right through Gojyo and out the other side, catching the half-breed dead on. The smile never wavered and the arm never dropped him. "It's been a long, annoying game of tag. But, guess what? You're It, asshole!"

'Kami-Sama' was flung away, beads rattling as he smacked into the far wall. Sanzo looked to Hakkai, who nodded with a set look to his face. Time to see if this team work thing really paid off. He followed Hakkai's movements, keeping one eye constantly on 'Kami-Sama' who was getting his ass handed to him by Goku.

"This is what you get for pretendin' to be a sanzo," Goku growled, using his nyoi-bo more like a club than a staff to take 'Kami-Sama' in the ribs. The crack they heard was from more than just the man hitting the wall and denting it.

'Kami-Sama' fell, blood gushing from his mouth. His hair was matted with it and it slid down his face. "H-H-How... d-dare you! I'll... kill you! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"

Sanzo swirved in, rolling across the floor and between Goku and Hakkai, who was now standing between 'Kami-Sama' and the rest of them.

"Please feel free to try," Hakkai answered, the soft glow of chi forming in his hand. This was it... if he missed by so much as an inch, Hakkai was a dead man. Sanzo clicked the safety off and took aim.

The rattle of beads came flying at them.

Hakkai's hand came forward... and stopped, the chi disappearing.

Sanzo fired three rounds as Hakkai moved with uncanny speed, twisting out of the way so the bullets only knicked his ribs. The youkai's body jerked as one did a little more than knick him before he hunched in over himself, smoke rising from the new wounds in his body. Holy items didn't feel too good against demon skin. "Ow...," Hakkai squeezed out.

"Wait... why didn't you set up a barrier?" 'Kami-Sama' demanded, bewildered by the change in tactic. Shit! Did he miss the fucker?

"B-Because... it's already over," Hakkai managed to get out before collapsing on the floor.

Sanzo kept the gun level and watched as realization blossomed on that beautiful face, just as the blood blossomed on his robes. Three shots, two of them to the lungs and one to the gut. Hakkai's height had been perfect for delivering death wounds to the shorter man. 'Kami-Sama's mouth spilled fresh blood all over as he slowly slid to his knees and then over to his side, choking on the same dark fluids entering his lungs that Kinkaku had. Gojyo had made him promise, before they came here, that he would die just as slowly and painfully as the boy had. He didn't need to see the kappa's face to know he was smiling.

"You... u-used your friend... as a shield? W-Why?"

He went over to the dying man and crouched down in front of him, ignoring the screaming pain and the fact he wanted nothing more than to puke and pass out. "_Muichimotsu_. Maybe you've heard of it," he replied, watching as those eyes grew wide at having the words flung back at him. "Those were the words _my_ master left me." He flipped the barrel open and began slipping in more bullets. "It teaches us to live without attachment... but is it right to throw everything away to live? I thought I'd gotten this far with my own interpretation of it, but then it hit me. More than anything, I was _bound_ by _muichimotsu_." The blood pooling under that pale blonde head was beginning to take on a glossy sheen as it cooled. Time was almost out for this one. "I have no doubts... and I have my own way of living. This is the Genjyo Sanzo version of _muichimotsu_."

'Kami-Sama' spluttered and coughed, a thin trickle of new blood staining his lips. "I don't... get it."

"I didn't expect you to."

There was a faint smile as those eyes fluttered close and then back opene, unwilling to die just yet. "You have... so much. So many things... won't you give them to me?"

He'd been all set to put a couple bullet into that head and end it. He wanted to see the grey splatter of brain hit the floor, see the pieces of bloody bone explode everywhere... and he couldn't do it. 'Kami-Sama' was already as good as dead. Pulling thr trigger now would be too much executing a starving child, not to mention a little too sadistic for even his tastes. He stood up, pushed the safety back on and watched those hopeful eyes. "I won't."

The eyes closed at last, the little smile still in place. "Meanie..."

A sharp crack and plaster dust fell on them. Sanzo followed the cracks forming on the ceiling above them, realizing before the others what exactly was going on. Just fucking peachy... yet ANOTHER palace they'd brought down! This was going to be the fourth... no, the fifth one in a year! That had to be a record of some kind.

"What the hell's that noise?" Goku asked, even as his eyes took in the ceiling and the cracks moving up the walls.

"The game... it's up, isn't it, master?"

All of them, even Hakkai who was barely conscious and practically being carried by Gojyo, glanced at the one they'd thought was dead. Sanzo was beginning to regret NOT unloading a round right into that pretty head!

'Kami-Sama's smile turned sad. "The game... master and I played. It goes until I lose. If you don't hurry... the castle will crush you."

"Huh? Sanzo, you think we hit him too hard? He's talkin' crazier than before," Goku asked, sounding a little worried.

"It wasn't my fault. I wasn't the one waving a stick around in hopes of hitting something." He caught Hakkai out of reflex as Gojyo passed the barely conscious man over.

"Come on, up!" Gojyo growled down at 'Kami-Sama', pulling on his arm. "This is just like Kinkaku and Ginkaku, now get your ass up! You manipulated the hell out of us, good for you! Now GET UP!" He tugged again on that arm and was slapped away by surprising strength for someone supposedly almost dead.

'I want to stay... and wait here. I'm fine."

"GOJYO!" Hakkai's shout came in time to warn to kappa about the chunk of ceiling falling down.

Gritting his teeth, Sanzo shoved Hakkai away from him. The green-eyed man stumbled but remained standing as the ground shook and cracked underneath them. "Come on, shit for brains, we've got to go!"

Casting one last look over his shoulder, Gojyo followed them out the door. "Damn it all," the red head muttered. Sanzo spared him a glance for the amount of sadness in those three words. They followed close behind Goku and Hakkai, who was half running and half throwing himself down the hall way. "Hey, you sure this is the way out?" Gojyo called up.

"Well, we're on the first floor," Hakkai shouted back over the noise behind them. No one needed to turn around and look to know the hallway was collapsing behind them and was moving faster than they were. "Without stairs..."

Sanzo edged by Hakkai as they man stopped, leaning against the rumbling wall. He knew Gojyo would be there to catch him, there was no need to have three of them stop. Goku was just ahead, kicking at the doors and pulling on them. "Stop fucking with the doors and open them, you idiot!"

"I can't! They're locked," Goku shouted back.

Unbelievable! All this amazing strength and power in a fight... and the little shit couldn't break a simple locked door? Shoving the boy to one side with a sneer, he pulled the gun and fired two shots right into the lock before kicking the doors outward. "HURRY UP BACK THERE! I'M NOT WAITING FOR YOUR SLOW ASSES!"

"FUCK YOURSELF, HOLY BASTARD!"

Ignoring that and making a mental note to pay him back later, Sanzo sprinted after Goku across the wide main entrance. Just one more set of doors and they'd be out of there... He skidded to a hault when a chunk of rock fell not even a foot in front of him. Flakes of marble splintered up, cutting across his face and hand as he shielded his eyes. More rocks smashing and Goku's shouts of, "Take that... an' that!" drew him back to their present situation. Doors... out the doors and fast!

"Oh... SHIT!"

He spun around in time to pull his gun and fire it right into the massive slab falling directly toward Hakkai and Gojyo. It exploded outward, spraying them with smaller pieces. "FASTER, ASSHOLES!"

"Genjyo Sanzo, you're my hero," Gojyo mocked in a high pitched voice.

"You really want those to be your laster words?" he fired back.

Goku slammed his shoulder into the doors, throwing them wide and open before falling out and rolling down the steps a good way. He got up painfully, whimpering and clutching the new gashes on his arms and knee. "That... sucked!"

The rumbling increased as they made it down to where Goku was, Sanzo hauling the boy upright. Goku used him for balance as he favored his knee a little. They needed to get out of the way. But there was no way they could get far enough from the impending eruption...

"Take cover," Hakkai shouted.

"WHERE?" Gojyo shouted back. They were in the middle of the goddamn stairs with nothing around them!

Shit! All four of them ducked down, covering their heads when the palace finally collapsed on itself, dust clouds, chunks of plaster, smaller debris and wood flying everywhere. Sanzo felt something heavy hit his arm and knew from the amount of pain that immediately sprang up it was broken. Goku was holding onto his leg in a death grip, yelping each time something hit him... which sounded like a long continuous 'owowowowow'.

When the wind finally settled and all the remained as the thudding of a few remaining support beams, Goku ventured to croak out, "Is it over?"

"Gods... I hope so," Sanzo muttered, coughing on the dust clogging his throat. He heard Gojyo working up a good wad before spitting it out. Now that they weren't moving and the adrenaline was leaving... everything hurt like a mutherfucking bitch!

"Anyone dead?" Hakkai's voice rasped as he, too, coughed fitfully.

"Ow!" Goku's hand flopped limply to the ground as he tried to hit Gojyo for poking him. "It hurts so bad..."

"EVERYTHING hurts after the fact," the red-head muttered. "Especially nails down the back... and teeth.

"Can it with your perversion. I'm too fucking beat to kill you right now." Cuts that were deep throbbed... that was how his whole body felt. Just one giant pulsing movement of pain. Even his hair hurt! This was the worst, by far and bar none. He finally gave in to the knot of dust and mucus that made swallowing and breathing difficult and hacked in the back of his throat before turning his head and wincing while he spit it out. His nose and throat burned from inhaling so much shit.

"Oo... that one sounded pretty good, Sanzo," Gojyo teased. "I take it you spit a lot?"

"Gods... I wish I could hit you."

Hakkai coughed again before spitting as well. "Ugh... as much as I despise this loathesome habit, it does feel good to get all that shit out of my throat and breathe a little better."

Sanzo managed to crack an eye open as Goku made the same noise before spitting... straight up into the air. He wanted to smile when it plopped into the boy's eye, but smiling would involve moving too many muscles and none of those muscles really wanted to move.

"EWWW! It's in my eye!"

"You dumb ass! You spit straight up?" Gojyo remarked, his chuckle dying in a groan of pain.

Goku's hand somehow managed to wipe the thick substance from his face. "So nasty... hey, Hakkai?"

"Yes?"

"Did Sanzo really shoot you back there?"

That warranted some kind of retaliation. Leg twitching slightly, Sanzo managed a nudge to the boy's side. "Don't be stupid, I aimed around him. If I'd shot through him, we'd be scraping his ashes up."

"That second one was a little more than a nick, though," the green-eyed man commented.

"I want to flick you off so badly..."

"Stop, please! Laughing hurts." Hakkai coughed again before groaning as the sharp movement caused his entire body to move. "Hakuryuu, would you mind transforming?"

The little white chirruped and pulled himself out from inside Hakkai's sash where he'd managed to get before the blast. There was a brief flash and then the Jeep was there waiting for them. None of them moved still. "Hakkai, can you drive?" Gojyo asked after a while.

"Um... honestly, it wouldn't be a good idea."

"Shit. I don't think I can either. Sanzo?"

What the hell? Was the kappa completely daft? "If I knew how to drive, I would have been from the start."

"An' I don't know how either," Goku added without anyone asking.

"Even if you did, there's no way I'd get in with you at the wheel," Gojyo shot back. Sanzo managed to open both eyes when he heard Gojyo get up, hissing in pain. "Okay, kids, break's done. C'mon, up!"

"Fuck you."

"I don't wanna."

"Just a moment longer, please."

Muttering about 'lazy mutherfuckers', Gojyo got up unsteadily and, starting with Goku, began hauling them to their feet and depositing them in the Jeep. Sanzo let the taller man grab his wrist, not bothering to argue. He doubted very much he could have managed it on his own anyway. Besides, it was only fair to put the kappa to work seeing as everything, from start to finish, was his fault. He quirked a brow when he was deposited in the back seat. "What the fuck?"

"I'm not driving with you in the front next to me," Gojyo explained, climbing into the driver's seat. "Hey, you think Sarat's got more rooms this time?"

"God, I do hope so," Hakkai murmured before leaning his head back against the seat and closing his eyes. "Though, he's most likely sick of seeing us by now."

"Well, he better get used to it because after all this shit, I wanna take a loooong break before we haul ass over the mountain."

That was perhaps one of the best ideas Sanzo had heard in a long time. A shame it was Gojyo who came up with it. That only meant he'd have to argue about it a little before giving in. And arguing in this condition was NOT going to be any fun!

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone tethered Sparky to a tree, scratching one of the ridges over his eye as she mulled over the situation they were now in. As soon as the whipping had been done, and immediately after Zakuro tried to 'help' her back into her dress, she'd tracked down Dokugakuji to inform him of what had happened. He'd heard already. Dr. Ni had taken great pleasure in telling him exactly what had happened. After some... convincing (her slapping him to get him to stop blaming himself), they'd finally set off after their missing lord.

That had been a week ago. Kougaiji had disappeared without a trace. The only clue they had was his final destination; wherever the Sanzo party was. So, their search turned to locating Genjyo Sanzo before Kougaiji did. Which now put them in their current position. Much like their lord, the traveling monk and his group had vanished as well. They'd searched every village, town and city on the western side of the mountain with no luck. No one on that side had seen or heard of them being in the area. And seeing as the last place she knew of them to be was Shussan, which was on the eastern side, almost a month ago, they could only conclude that the foursome were still in the mountain.

So, they'd waited a week in the busy city of Chukagai, which was the very first city anyone crossing over would come to. Dokugakuji had spent the entire time pacing around the hotel room. She was the only one of the two that had a limiter and could therefore pass as human, thus she was sent to ask questions and investigate. Other than stories of mysterious deaths and a monster on the eastern side, she had nothing. Neither of them were in the best of moods.

Then, almost three days ago, Yaone heard of a powerful youkai further west terrorizing the lands and demanding to know where a traveling monk and his companions were. The shock of learning that they'd actually gotten AHEAD of Kougaiji was short lived before Dokugakuji had thrown his jacket on, grabbed his bag and said he was off to track down Kougaiji. She was to stay in this region and see if she could find the Sanzo party.

And now here she was, on the eastern side of the mountain trying to find out where in the world they could have gotten to. Yaone sighed, leaning against Sparky's warm white skin. The dragon butted her with his head, making a pleased rumbling sound in his throat. The first place she'd gone to was Shussan. After all, that was where Sanzo had said he would be. Everyone remembered them. One inn, Ming's Tavern, especially remembered them. The owner and his wife (who seemed to really run the show) told her they'd left less than a day and a half ago. They'd also told her that before the four left that they'd been injured to the point of almost dying.

That was when Ming, the wife, had to help her into a chair. Sanzo... She'd been numbed by the fear that he'd been so close to death. It took another five minutes for them to reassure her that they'd all healed up nicely... only to give her another heartattack when they explained that they were going back after the one who very nearly killed them.

Yaone closed her eyes, hugging herself with one arm. Why would he DO that? Was it some male ego thing? 'This guy kicked my ass, so I'm going to try again'? It had to be more than that. Sanzo was arrogant as all hell, but he wasn't stupid and he wasn't one to nurse a bruised ego. No, something else must have happened for him to decide to brave death one more time. As soon as she'd left the inn, she'd begun to scour the forest, hoping maybe that she could find him and talk him out of it. Again, no such luck. No one had known where they were headed except into the forest. And the forest was incredibly thick and deep. Sweeping aerials overhead had proved useless as the trees were too full to see through. There was no way she could search the entire area by foot either.

Which was why she was now about five miles outside of Shussan again wondering what the hell to do. Chukagai was where Sanzo would end up if he changed his mind and decided to skip a rematch with the person who almost killed them. But that didn't seem very likely. The inn keeper and his wife had been very clear about the fact that they hadn't taken any extra gear for crossing the mountain, which meant chances were good they would be returning to Shussan.

Sighing heavily, she double checked the knot on the line before removing the saddle and the harness. Happy to be free, Sparky half flew and half ran into the little creek nearby, flopping on his belly in the shallow water. Yaone smiled. "At least one of us is happy," she called over. The dragon was too busy playing to acknowledge her in any way. Hauling the saddle bags off and slinging them over her shoulder, she began to walk back into town. It was getting dark and she was exhausted and sore anyway from being in the saddle all day. Not to mention she desperately wanted to get clean and out of her leather gear. She knew when packing that there probably wouldn't be much of a chance to get comfortable but she'd packed pajamas and a couple spare changes of clothes anyway. At least THAT was a plus to all this misadventure! She'd finally get to shower and rest a little. Maybe taking a break for the night with a warm meal and some wine would help her decide what to do next.

About a mile from the town, she slipped on the three bracelets, jumping a little as they went into effect. Limiters... such an evil necessity at times! Once again she wondered how youkai like Hakkai and Goku could stand wearing something that felt like a constant static electric shock. The streets were beginning to empty as people hurried home for dinner. Yaone ignored the stares directed at her rather eccentric appearance and continued on until she came back to Ming's Tavern. She pushed the heavy wooden door open and went up to the front desk. No one was there to check her in, but judging from the crowd in the bar the family was probably busy in there. One of the daughters (the one who seemed to particularly remember Gojyo... no surprise there) spotted her and signaled that she'd be there in a minute or two.

Yaone leaned against the desk and waited patiently. She hoped they weren't TOO booked up. At this point, she would gladly pay rent for closet space just so long as she got a decent meal and some hot water. The girl hustled forward, setting her tray behind the desk. "So sorry, miss! Glad to see you came back."

"I'm actually glad to be back," Yaone answered with a smile.

"We've only got three rooms left," the girl continued, checking the registry book. "I'll put you in two-eleven. It's the nicest one."

"Thank you. How much extra to have some food brought up."

The girl laughed and shook her head. "It'll be my pleasure! Anything to get out of that crowd for a bit."

Yaone followed her up the stairs, taking in the rustic but very pleasant surroundings. The wooden floors and walls had seen their share of drunken fights but they were spotlessly clean and polished. Worn rugs were spaced down the narrow hall, showing a couple spots that were worn through. Old-fashioned gas lights were spaced around, throwing a soft warm glow over everything.

"So, did you find them?" the girl asked, turning to look over her shoulder. Her brown eyes expressed hope that maybe she had.

"Unfortunately, no. I came back here thinking maybe they might have turned up," Yaone replied.

"Oh, I see. Have you... have you known them long?"

She smiled, adjusting the saddle bags on her shoulder. "For a while now. A little over a year."

"Really? So, tell me... is Gojyo married?"

Yaone almost choked on her laughter. "Gojyo, married? No, far from it!"

"Does he have someone special back home?"

Good lord, the girl was completely lost on the half-breed! She felt sorry for her, not wanting to be the one to tell her Gojyo had several 'special' someones. And if she ever DID catch up with them, she was certainly going to let him have it for seducing such a young girl! "As far as I know, no."

That brought a happy relieved smile. "My name's Asai. I'm eighteen. Is that too young for him?"

Yaone shrugged noncommitally. This was getting more awkward by the minute. Thankfully, though, they were at her room. Asai opened the door and reached around to flick on the lights. "We had electric installed in the guest rooms," she explained upon seeing Yaone's surprise. "There's also indoor plumbing, so you can have a bath or shower and not worry about cold water. We're having roast duck in my mom's famous cranberry and orange glaze, along with a side of asparagus in a butter sauce and miso soup. Is that alright?"

"That sounds fantastic, thank you. Oh, Asai?"

Asai stopped in the door, a helpful smile on her lips.

"If they DO happen to come back..."

"I'll let you know, miss. Don't worry about that." She shut the door quietly behind her, leaving Yaone alone.

Yaone tossed the saddle bags onto the comfortable looking bed, sighing and massaging the back of her neck. Her lower back and ass were so sore from that damn saddle! Opening one of the bags, she pulled out her soap, shampoo, hair brush, toothbrush and toothpaste, then unfolded the dark burgundy pajamas. She left those on the bed and opened the door to the bathroom, flicking on the light. It was obvious the addition of a modern bath was fairly recent. The grout between the off white tiles was still pristine white, the sliding glass door on the tub completely free of any soap grime. Yaone set about peeling the sticky leather from her body, pushing it all into one corner to clean later. She winced as she pulled the tie from her hair, taking a few pieces with it. Sometimes she seriously wanted to grab a pair of scissors and hack it all off. But her father... he'd always liked her hair long. He said it reminded him of her mother. So, she kept it long in memory of her parents and spent the time needed to brush and maintain it.

She had just stepped into the burning hot water (just as she liked it) when Asai returned with food for her. "Miss? I'm sorry to interupt, but I put your dinner on the table out here and also brought up some of our home made grape wine. It's not nearly as good as what the merchants bring in, but it's decent enough."

"Thank you," Yaone called back through the closed door, closing her eyes and tilting her head back into the water, reaching for the shampoo. The shampoo, soap and lotion that went with it had all been gifts from Kougaiji. Dokugakuji had made a joke about him hinting that she smelled bad, which had made them both blush. She knew the real reason for it. She'd had an opportunity to simply talk to him, one friend to another, and had mentioned how much she loved the smell of jasmine blossoms. His only response had been a little smile. That was when he'd disappeared from the castle for a whole day, sending everyone into a frenzy. He'd returned right before dinner... and he'd brought her that gift as a thank you. He never said what it was a thank you for... but he'd made sure that she remained well stocked in the products.

As the familiar scent filled the air, it didn't bring with it the calm that it normally did. Instead, it reminded her of what exactly she and Dokugakuji were trying to do. Kougaiji was a danger to himself and others, not just Sanzo. They had to find some way to bring him back before he got killed... or he killed Sanzo. She shut the water off, leaning back against the surprisingly cool tiles. This whole thinking of death thing wasn't really helping her with the current situation! She slid the glass door back, sucking in a sharp breath as the cold air slammed into her wet body. Stepping out of a hot shower was probably one of the most horrible things in the world, she decided, quickly snatching the towels from the bar on the wall and wrapping one around her hair while using the other to dry herself off.

Yaone returned to the bedroom and put the pajamas on quickly so she could enjoy the food while it was still mostly warm. Passing by it, her nose picked up the delicious aromas and made her stomach growl hungrily. The bottle of wine had already been opened for her and was almost as welcomed a sight as the food. She took her time eating it, though, savoring each bite eagerly. It was amazingly good! Gyokumen Koushu's taste in cuisine ran toward the... well, interesting. The meat always had to be under cooked, no vegetables, and heavily seasoned with salt. She didn't understand how anyone could enjoy that. This here was perhaps the best food she'd had that she didn't prepare herself. Granted, later she'd have to do some extra exercising because of the duck meat, but it was well worth it!

After dinner and brushing her teeth, she finally pulled back the blankets on the queen sized bed, untwisting her hair from the towel to air dry. Yaone relaxed onto the soft pillow, hugging the other one to her chest, and closed her eyes, asleep almost instantly.

>>>>>>>>>>

Sarat grumbled as he was once again pulled from his bed at almost two in the morning by someone banging on the door. These rude awakenings were beginning to get ridiculous! He managed to get his glasses on and light a lamp at the same time. He slid the lock back and was once again presented with a messy sight.

"Hey, pops! Are our rooms still available?" the red-head asked, grinning through a mask of dried blood.

"Ming! The boys are back!"

>>>>>>>>>>

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for bearing with me! On with the romancy stuff!


	17. Chapter 17

"More, please!"

Ming laughed and filled Goku's plate to heaping with more food. "Anyone else for more?"

Both Hakkai and Sanzo declined the offer, Sanzo already smoking and Hakkai leaning back with a heavy, content sigh. It had been two days since they came bleeding back to Sarat's inn. They weren't nearly as badly injured as before, but the innkeep had insisted they remain in bed for at least two days. None of them were inclined to argue with this. Especially Gojyo. Even Sarat hadn't been too happy about how his daughter spent most of her free time with the kappa. Hakkai was doing a kind thing and making sure that if the daughter was there with Gojyo, he was as well. They didn't want to offend their host by knocking up his daughter!

"So, how long were you planning to stay here?" Sarat asked, pouring more beer for Gojyo. Sanzo pushed his glass and got it refilled as well. Hakkai frowned disapprovingly. Great... he didn't want to hear the lecture about having blood thinners while still stitched up again!

"Well, I don't really know," Gojyo drawled a little loudly, casting Sanzo a sarcastic little smirk. "That all depends on our dear Sanzo. So, how long, master?" He turned the usually respectful title into something obscene and rude. Only the kappa could do that.

Sanzo stubbed his cigarette out sharply and shoved his chair back. There was only so much of this he could take! "If it's not an inconvenience, two more days."

Sarat laughed, pushing his glasses back. "Hey, it'll be a pleasure having you. Just so long as you aren't planning to go and get yourselves killed within that time frame. Asai's up at the desk, just have her book what you need."

"Maybe I should be the one to do that," Gojyo offered quickly. "You look like shit, Sanzo. You should probably sit here a little longer before getting up."

"Bite my ass, cockroach." He gave a half-hearted smack with his newspaper across the table. It was still enough to earn him an 'ow' and a glare.

"Sanzo, do you want me to come with you?" Hakkai offered. It was more out of politeness than a need to follow him that made the green-eyed man ask.

"I've had it with all of you. I want fifteen minutes alone. That means any of you come into the room before fifteen minutes is up and our host will be holding a funeral out back."

Sarat paled considerably as Sanzo turned his back and left. "Was he joking?" he hissed out.

Hakkai laughed and said, "Who knows?"

Sanzo allowed himself a little smile, leaning up against the front desk. The opium they'd laced in with the food was starting to wear off a little, making the throbbing ache more apparent. He didn't like being drugged, so he was going to go as long as he could without it. When the pain started distracting him as much as the opium did, then he'd give in. Until then... nothing to do but suck it up and deal.

The clock ticked behind the counter. He could hear Goku and Gojyo shouting in the bar and Hakkai's desperate, and ignored, pleas for silence and order. Hmph, too bad. Let him deal with it for a change. And where the hell was the girl? Sarat had said she would be there to handle the transaction. Well, he was ready, so where the hell was she?

Minutes went by and still no sign of her. More people came in and went straight back to the bar. Great... Sarat was going to be too busy handling the early crowds to come out here and make the arrangements. Sanzo leaned over the desk a little. Sometimes they had a bell to ring... His eyes landed on the registry, narrowing a touch. Wait... did he read that right? Room two-eleven. He straightened up, confusion and something else gnawing at him. It was that stupid, nameless feeling, the one that always came up when a certain youkai woman was around. It couldn't possibly be...

And if it was, what the hell was up with her not stopping by or anything? She had to have known they were here, too! So why wouldn't she find a way to get him a message or something? No, it couldn't be her then. It had to be someone else...

_That's not exactly a common name. And she could have very good reasons for not informing you... like the fact that you don't have a room to yourself? It would be rather odd to have a note for you come and then you take off. Someone, like Goku, would be suspicious and follow you. And that wouldn't be a very good thing, would it?_

Gritting his teeth, Sanzo decided to find out if it was her or not. He didn't want to admit it... but he was sort of hoping it WAS her. It had been a long time (too long, his mind corrected) since they'd last seen each other. And, while he did think about her when he could, it wasn't the same. If anything, it made things worse. Thinking about her only reminded him that he couldn't see her, which pissed him off royally. Almost as much as the fact that she'd made him anticipate their meetings. That was decidedly more annoying than thinking about her. She was like his cigarettes. If he didn't get his fix, he wasn't exactly the most happy of campers. Sanzo paused on the stairs, mulling that over again. Yes, she was like cigarettes for him. Granted, he would never tell her that. He may not have much social experience with women, but common sense dictated that she wouldn't be too pleased at the comparison.

It was a valid one, though. Before the whole Kami-Sama bullshit started, he would start to think ahead to when they'd be able to meet again. The fact that he was actually looking forward to it had surprised him,. And it wasn't all just about talking to her now. That kiss... damn it! Physical attraction he understood. He knew it, understood it and could overcome it on most occassions. And when he couldn't... a shower or some whore with a good mouth would do the trick. But this was something different entirely. It hadn't started out as a physical thing. This had come about because of his need for something outside their little group. She out of all of them understood the best what it felt like to lose someone you cared about more than your own life. She wasn't like those women Gojyo always seemed to surround himself with. She didn't giggle constantly, spout inane flattery or even try and seduce him with a line. A very unusual woman. He liked that. He liked that she didn't pester him to explain why the rain bothered him. She didn't flinch if he said he'd killed someone. All she did was accept it and understand it. Except... it was a little more than just understanding IT...

...She understood _him_. Simple as that. That was something he hadn't really expected, or really wanted. But now that he had it... it felt good. Sanzo pulled out his cigarettes and lit up as he walked down the hall way, counting off the door numbers in his head. If this WAS her... he didn't know what he was going to finish that thought with. Kiss her? Possibly. Yell at her for being there without saying anything? More than likely. Letting out a long breath laced with smoke, he knocked on the door. That, of course, depended on if it really was her name he saw. If it was some random tart's room... Sanzo groaned when that possibility sank in. Goddamn it, she was making him stupid!

"Coming!"

His eyes widened. SHIT! It _was_ her! Why did he feel so... nervous? Stomach jerking a little, he quickly squashed the little voice arguing maybe he should just leave. Obviously she didn't want him to know she was there. Maybe it would be best if...

The door opened and copper eyes widened before she covered her gaping mouth with one hand. Yaone stood still, frozen in shock. Sanzo forgot completely about the burning cigarette in his hand and stared back. So... this is what everyone meant about being a deer caught in headlights, he mused, torn between the urge to kiss her or yell at her. Damn her! She'd known the entire time he was there... and not one fucking word!

"God... you look like shit," she finally said.

"Are you going to invite me in or keep insulting me?" he demanded. He wasn't angry at the comment, not by any stretch of the word. He knew very well that he looked like shit. He'd been thinking that for the past two mornings when he'd rolled himself out of bed for the bathroom. If anything, it amused the hell out of him that those were the first words she'd said to him in a month.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone stepped back from the door, still gaping. Sanzo went in, finally noticing the ash burning away and knocking it off in the plant bowl outside the door. The door shut and locked behind him.

"Here, sit down." Yaone pulled a chair out for him, nails digging into the worn wood slightly. His brow quirked upward a little, a tiny amused smile quickly being fought back from his lips. He did as she asked, though, without fighting. Asai hadn't been kidding about how close he'd come to dying. He LOOKED like he almost did!

"What are you doing?" he asked, turning slightly to watch her as she went over to the chest of drawers and removed her saddle bags from the top one.

"I'm taking a look at you," she stated firmly, dropping the bags on the table and flipping open the one closest to her. She didn't doubt for the world that Asai's family had taken the best care they could of such a high-ranking guest. It wouldn't exactly go over well with the neighbors if the legendary Genjyo Sanzo died in their house. But she wasn't going to rest easy until she'd taken a look herself.

"Excuse me?"

"Take your shirt off, please. And your pants if you have any injuries below the waist line."

Glaring and blushing at the same time, Sanzo undid the buttons on his black shirt (it was new and she secretly admitted it looked very nice on him) before tossing it aside and yanking the tank underneath off. "I'm keeping my pants on," he practically growled.

Yaone sighed, but didn't argue the point. "Please, stand up."

"Shit... I can't believe this!" He stood up anyway, waiting for her to conduct her exam. "Should I start dancing on the table next?" he inquired sarcastically.

"And risk falling off and doing more damage? Maybe some other time," she joked back, hands deftly untucking the end of the gauze length covering his entire chest. He lifted his arms to the side as she began to unwind him, rolling it all neatly back up as she went. "Hakkai's doing?"

"Hakkai has a broken finger. It was the innkeeper's."

"And what about your arm?"

Sanzo snorted in disdain. "Bruised and cut. I thought it might have been broken in the explosion-,"

"EXPLOSION?"

"-but it wasn't," he finished, ignoring her own little outburst.

Yaone shook her head, setting the gauze aside to begin peeling the thicker sections taped to his shoulder off. There was freshly dried blood on the pad but the wound looked like it was closed up. It was going to leave quite a scar, but it didn't look infected. "This should have been stitched up," she commented.

"They ran out. Hakkai was a lot worse off."

She took his right hand and peeled the pad off of that two, wincing a little at the deep gash surrounded by bruising. Older bruises covered him all over, as well as a few fresh pink scars. She'd seen the old ones before, so old that they were just slightly paler than his skin and were only noticeable if you felt the raised ridges. Yaone grabbed the heavily wrapped left arm, glancing up quickly when his entire body tightened. "Sorry, did I hurt you?"

"If you're going to satisfy your morbid curiousity, just do it and do it quickly," he gritted out.

Shaking her head again, she unbound his arm as carefully as possible. "Good God!" How his arm hadn't broken was beyond her! There was one long cut that almost went around his arm. From the hand up to the elbow was almost black from the bruised tissue. "Can you make a fist?"

"Yeah, right."

"Can you move your fingers at all?" Stupid question! The middle one lifted just enough for her to see it. She couldn't help the little smile. "Were you this badly behaved when the innkeeper was patching you up?"

"You think this is bad behavior? You weren't the one sewing me up."

She could just imagine. "Hold still, please." Standing on tip toe, which put her a half inch taller than him, she carefully pulled the bandages wrapped around his head off. Other than a black eye, a small cut that possbily could have used two stitches to it right above his lip and some swelling from an old bruise just under his jaw, he was fine. "And now the back."

"I'm really starting to regret even coming here," he muttered as he turned around for her inspection.

"Are those teeth marks?" she asked, leaning closer. They were small... a child?

"Yes," he answered sharply. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about how they got on the back of his neck. Thinking of some crazed child bringing him down made her quickly bite her lip to keep the laughter back.

the rest of his back was fine, except for what looked like exit wounds from bullets. "Did someone shoot at you?"

"Something like that."

"You're not going to elaborate." She didn't need to ask it, she already knew from the tone.

"That's right, I'm not."

Sighing, Yaone stepped back. "I'm done."

Sanzo glanced over his shoulder at her. "You are?"

She nodded. "I would suggest leaving them uncovered for tonight to get a little air in. And I have something for that arm, if you want, to keep it from getting too stiff. But considering as you got them almost two days ago, they look pretty good."

She could almost imagine she saw a lift of lip to suggest a smile. "Yes, doctor. That's exactly what the other two said."

Yaone went back over to him as he turned to face her fully. Being mindful of his injuries, she placed her hands on his hips, fingers hooking through the belt loops on his jeans to tug him closer. Not that he needed much encouraging. "Thank you," she said softly before kissing him just a little to one side of his mouth to avoid to cut.

"I'm injured, not made of glass," Sanzo remarked, his good hand brushing up her arm to the back of her neck, craddling her head. Yaone had a chance for a little chuckle before he kissed her full on. It surprised her how gentle it was, especially after that last comment about not being made of glass. And, unlike him, when she felt his tongue against her lips, she parted them instantly, letting him lead. There was definate passion, but it was still slow and more like he was savoring the moment than trying to get her in bed faster. A completely different kiss than what she had come to expect from men in general. Then again... he wasn't exactly her normal type of man.

He was the first to break away, letting out a long breath that bordered very close to sounding like a relieved sigh. Yaone smiled to herself as he settled her cheek against his uninjured shoulder, placing a quick little kiss to her neck. This was just as nice, she thought, just having him hold her like this. This was perhaps what she'd missed the most about their visits. Sanzo was making a real effort to let her get close physically. She could tell by the slight stiffness to his back that he wasn't still completely at ease with the closeness, but he was getting there. The fact that he initiated the embrace was... well... She didn't quite have the words to describe how it made her feel, but she liked it very much.

"So, what are you doing here?" he asked, leaning back far enough to see her.

Blushing, Yaone didn't meet his gaze. "Looking for Kougaiji," she answered. She couldn't tell him why though. It would reveal too much about the project and, well... she still had her oath and promise to her lord to consider here.

"Off to save his ass?"

"I resent that! Lord Kougaiji can save his own ass."

Sanzo didn't answer, his arm moving down to settle low on her hips. Yaone was about to kiss him again when the dark scowl stopped her. His eyes instantly hardened as he spun her around, lifting up the thin cotton shirt to her pajamas. "Hey! Just what are you-"

"What happened?" he demanded. Yaone closed her eyes, shoulders slumping. Damn... she'd forgotten about the whip marks!

"Nothing, just..."

"Don't bullshit me. I know what whip marks look like, and these are it. What happened?" He was getting angrier and angrier by the second. It was touching, but there wasn't much he could do about it now.

Reaching behind her, she pulled her shirt free and settled it in place. "It was a punishment," she said simply. "I didn't do as I was told and this is the result. And it's not the first time it's ever happened, so please don't make a big deal about it."

She could almost feel him pulling the rage back and controling it. Daring a glance over her shoulder, her eyes locked with his and once again that feeling that he could see right into her soul came over her. So unnerving... that gaze wasn't human at all! Sanzo turned away, scooping his shirts off the floor. He found his cigarettes and lit up, letting the strong smell of burned tobacco and nicotine fill the room. It had been a while since she'd last smelled the stuff and it made her wrinkle her nose. She went over and opened the window looking out over the back of the inn into the small courtyard between the actual building and the small greenhouse.

"Was the person that whipped you the same one that raped you?"

Yaone spun back around at the almost cruelly blunt question, jaw slack. "Excuse me?"

Sanzo was leaning against the table, his good arm crossed over his stomach. There was nothing in that face now, no emotion of any kind to tell her what he was thinking. A perfectly blank mask except for the bruises. "You heard me. Were they one and the same?"

Biting her lower lip, she nodded quickly, arms hugging herself.

"Does the person have a name, or am I suddenly supposed to have psychic powers?"

"What does it matter? The damage is done and chances are more than likely you'll never meet him anyway. Just drop it."

To her surprise, he did. Yaone's eyes narrowed when he reopened her bag, rummaging through it. "Hey! Just what the hell do you think you're- oh!"

Sanzo pulled out the extremely battered book of sudoku puzzles and began leafing through it to find one that wasn't done yet. "These are the harder ones," he commented.

Yaone shook her head, rubbing her eyes at the lightening quick change of topic. "Yes... sorry, yes they are. I found it a while back. There's almost five thousand puzzles in there, the easier toward the front."

"Hmph... got a pen? It's been a while since I've done one of these things."

She fished out the small pencil from inside her pouch. "Will this do?"

"If it writes, it'll do. Are you helping or what?"

Yaone let out a little sigh, smiling. "Are you really so rusty that you need help with a simple little sudoku puzzle?" she joked, pulling out a chair. Sanzo moved his over a bit so she could sit next to him and see the puzzle better.

"The hell I am! Stop trying to be cute and get over here to hold the damn thing open," he bit out. He reached into his shirt pocket again and pulled out his glasses, flicking them open with one hand. "This is getting to be really annoying," he muttered.

Laughing, Yaone leaned her head on one hand, already scanning the puzzle at the top of the page. "That's what you get for picking a fight with someone who almost killed you the first time around. By the way, who did you just have to go back and fight?"

"God."

She frowned, confused by the answer. As he started filling in numbers, she wondered if maybe he was joking. After all, how vould they pick a fight with God? "That one's a three."

"Hmph... Then the one next to it has to be an eight." Yaone smiled. Despite him being battered to pieces and her stressed to the point of snapping, everything here was normal. In thr whirlwind of chaos surrounding them, at least she had this one anchor to cling to. She surprised Sanzo no end when she kissed his cheek.

"What the hell was that for?"

"Nothing. Just... thank you."

"Whatever."


	18. Chapter 18

Gojyo followed Asai out the back door. She was supposed to be going out to the green house for some herbs her mom needed tomorrow. And she knew he ws following her. She kept glancing over her shoulder coyly. Gojyo grinned. So... she wanted to play a bit, did she? No matter. Hakkai had already lectured him about keeping this one a virgin. No problem there! He sped up just a little, not so that he looked overly eager, but enough so that when she opened the door to the green house, he caught it before it could shut.

"Oh!" Asai dropped her basket in surprise, whirling around. Damn, now he'd scared her! Gojyo gave her his very best smile, eyes locking with hers and not looking any lower. If he did, she'd bolt.

"Sorry 'bout that," he said smoothly. "I thought you saw me."

"I did... I just..." She laughed nervously. "I don't know, I'm being silly."

"No, you're being cute. I was thinking that all through dinner, you know."

Asai blushed dark red, suddenly finding her folded hands very interesting.

Gojyo wasn't in any rush. He'd been eying her for almost a month, what was a few more minutes? He pulled one of her hands free, lacing his fingers with hers and bringing it up to his lips. His eyes remained on her the entire time and he couldn't help smiling when her lips parted and a soft little gasp came free. Yep, she was definately very innocent if that got her hot! Even if Hakkai hadn't warned him off, he would have after that. Hell, he was probably her first real crush. Well... better give her some lasting memories!

He settled her hand around the back of his neck, her other hand coming to his chest on its own. Gojyo's arms circled her waist, keeping clear from the curves above and below. For now. Asai closed her eyes, leaning up for a kiss... that fell to her cheek instead. "What..."

"Shh. Trust me, okay?"

"Um... okay."

Gojyo's lips moved in a little more, inching closer to her lips. He skipped over them, flashing a quick little smile at the disappointed moan. Not yet. Build up the anticipation a little bit more. He repeated his light kisses along the other side of her cheek, and this time when he came to her lips, he pressed a quick kiss there, drawing back to watch her eyes open slowly. They looked almost black in the darkness around them and he didn't have time to savor the fact that she was actually very pretty before they were kissing again and he was lowering her to the ground.

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai looked up from his book, leaning his head back against the wall. His eyes were sore from reading for the last couple hours. He knew Gojyo was out in the green house with Asai. He also knew that Gojyo wasn't stupid enough to deflower the virgin daughter of their host and savior. Sighing, he picked his book back up again, squinting at the slightly blurry words. Truth be told, he was rather exhausted. Sarat hadn't wanted him out of bed yet, but he'd insisted. And now he was paying for that stubborness, with interest.

A soft knock came to his door and he jerked fully awake. Oh... he'd begun to doze off. The knock came again and he marked his place in the book, running a hand through his tossled hair. "Come in," he called, clearing his throat.

Goku came in, head bowed. Hakkai sat up quickly, worried by the almost devastated expression on his face. "Goku?"

"Sanzo's... gone."

"WHAT?" Surely he didn't mean Sanzo had...

"He's not in his room. And he's not at the bar. I thought maybe he went out, so I checked the brothel a block down-,"

"Wait... why on earth would you check a brothel for Sanzo? And you actually went INSIDE?" Had the boy finally lost his mind completely? Searching for Sanzo in a whorehouse was a little odd. GOKU searching for Sanzo in a whorehouse was just plain unheard of!

Goku glared at him, lips set in a thin, firm line. "It makes SENSE! They've got women there, an' Sanzo's been all weird about having women in his room. Well, what if he's sharing a room, huh? He can't go bringin' women back when someone else might be there!"

"Goku..."

"Don't treat me like I'm stupid, Hakkai! Gojyo always goes out an' comes back in the morning when he wants to have sex. It makes sense."

It did, he had to admit. But... this was SANZO they were talking about. THE Genjyo Sanzo. He wouldn't stoop to trolling for common prostitutes, not in a million years. "There are always other explainations, Goku," he finally said softly. And if there weren't, this wasn't a side of his guardian Goku really needed to see.

Goku's fists balled up angrily. Hakkai waited, silent and watchful. This was really upsetting him, the fact that he couldn't find Sanzo. Ever since the first Kami-Sama incident, Goku had been more fiercely protective of Sanzo. He was dangerous before, but now... And Hakkai understood why. Sanzo was quite literally all he had in this world. The monk meant more to the boy than anything else. All he wanted was to make sure Sanzo was safe and alive.

Hakkai blinked in surprise when Goku stomped over to his little bag usually overflowing with food. "Goku, what-?"

Goku grabbed a small wallet and pulled out some money. Where did he get THAT from? Noticing Hakkai's astonished look, he declared loudly, "I won this off of Gojyo in Go Fish. And now I'm gonna buy a woman!"

He started laughing, he couldn't help it. He knew it would only make Goku more upset, but hearing those words said with such innocence was... it was just too much! "Goku... you're not going to buy a hooker."

"Why not?"

Still fighting back the chuckles trying to escape, he said, "Because you don't know the first thing about sex. Do you really want your first time to be with a stranger who quite possibly has a disease?"

Goku's glare got even darker, turning his usually molten gold eyes almost brown. "Gojyo goes out an' screws strange women, and so does Sanzo! Even YOU-,"

"No, Goku," he cut in firmly, the laughter fading away at such an accusation. "I'm very careful about what I do with my own time."

"I'll be careful, too!"

"Goku... Goku! Goku, please come back!" Hakkai jumped off the bed and ran after the boy, mind still reeling that he'd just had this conversation with him. It was foolish to think that Goku wouldn't grow up, but this was ridiculous! He knew Goku was interested in girls, and there was nothing wrong with that. But THIS was a lightening quick change of character for the boy. It was more than Sanzo not being there, he knew that. Perhaps it was just that everyone else in their group had 'experience' except for him. He'd read somewhere about adolescents mimicking their peers to fit in. And, seeing as they were Goku's only real peers... Oh, boy!

"This should be Sanzo's job, not mine," he muttered as he stumbled out the door way, hand going to the growing ache in his shoulder. He spotted Goku running through the crowd and took off after him into the night. Tomorrow, he'd mention this to Sanzo and let the monk deal with it. Right now, he had to catch Goku and keep him from making the biggest mistake of his life! And just where the hell was Sanzo for this anyway?

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo bit the insides of his cheeks to keep from hissing in pain. Yaone glanced up from where she was rubbing some cream shit into his bruised arm, pausing briefly before continuing. She was smart enough not to ask if he was okay. Did he LOOK okay? The cream was starting to sink in, blissfully numbing the bruised tissue. Thank the gods for that!

"There, that should do it," she stated, settling her back against the head board next to him.

"It's already working," he commented. He was staring at her mouth, he couldn't help it. Now that he knew how to kiss, he enjoyed it. It wasn't the complete waste of time he'd originally thought it to be.

Yaone laughed softly. "You sound surprised. I AM a trained healer, you know."

"I was just trying to say... fuck it, never mind!" Why was she being so difficult? He was just trying to thank her for it!

Laughing again, Yaone pushed his hair out of his eyes gently, her trimmed claws brushing against the skin of his cheek. "You're welcome. I'm sorry I gave you a hard time."

Sanzo's eyes closed. He was having trouble keeping this annoying, nameless emotion from surfacing. If he knew it, he could control it but... as it was, he still wasn't entirely sure he wanted her to see it. And her hands... Just mere skimming of fingers against his skin and he was ready to let go of everything and fuck her. No, not fuck. 'Fuck' was something done to whores or one-nighters. And he didn't want this to be for just one night. He didn't know what exactly to call it, but there was no way in hell he would ever use the term 'make love'! Gods, whoever thought of that phrase needed a bullet put right between their eyes!

"Sanzo?" she asked softly.

"What?" Damn it! His voice sounded harsh even to his own ears.

"Why won't you look at me?"

He swallowed the emotion back as much as he could and opened his eyes half-way. "Happy now?"

Yaone gave him a faint smile. "Yes, very. Thank you."

"You keep thanking me. I haven't done anything." Not that he wouldn't have minded... Once again, Gojyo's perversions flung his imagination straight to the gutter. This whole relationship thing was trickier than he would have thought. On the one hand, he wanted to have sex with her. And on the other, he had no idea how to go about initiating that change. If he asked flat out, she'd either get angry (which wouldn't be condusive to any sort of sexual favor) or she'd laugh because she thought he was being cute (which was unacceptable since he was NOT cute). So, a happy medium... whatever that was! For the first time ever in his life, he regretted not giving more thought to the opposite sex.

"No, not true. You've done more than you realize."

Whatever that cryptic little remark was supposed to mean! It was more than obvious the situation at Houtu Castle was anything but a bed of roses, and that she was getting caught in the crossfire. He didn't like it, but there wasn't much he could do about it and, at this stage in their journey, it really wasn't his business. It would become his business if something happened to her, though. Sanzo let out a long breath, leaning his head back against the head board.

"Sanzo?" Yaone asked. The worry was evident in the question. Damn it, she shouldn't be worrying about HIS skin!

"I'm fine. Just tired."

"Do you want to stay, or do you need to get back?"

He did want to stay. He'd sleep better than sharing a room with Goku. Between the tossing and turning, talking, snoring and occassional farting, the brat just didn't know how to stay silent. Sanzo opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. Someone needed to dust up there. His head throbbed with the beginnings of a headache. A nagging sensation entered through the pain. Something wasn't right. Goku... he couldn't hear Goku.

"I have to go back," he muttered, not really believing the words were coming out. His gut told him something was going on with Goku. Usually the monkey's voice was more clear than. Goku was trying to keep him out. That had never happened before. And, as much as he might bitch about it never being quiet, he didn't like the fact that Goku was blocking him.

"You said that like something's wrong," she stated, sliding off the bed so he could get up.

Sanzo pulled his tank top on carefully, wincing at the pull in his shoulder. The black shirt went over it but remained unbuttoned. "Something could be."

"But... I don't sense-,"

"Not youkai. Goku. How long will you be here?"

Yaone shrugged, an almost wicked little smile gracing her lips. "I was supposed to find you. I did. My job is done, and I can stay as long as you'll have me."

"We're extending our stay here for another ten days." He'd have to remember to tell Sarat he was extending the stay in the morning. Ten days would be plenty of time for them to heal up a little more and relax a bit on the temple's tab. And, naturally with the amount of pain they were all in, they would have to have only the best food and drink available.

"Is that how long you want me here?" She was grinning from ear to ear. Damn it... she was trying to force him to say it!

Glaring back over his shoulder at her, he said, "Do what you want. I'm not your lord and master." She wasn't going to get him to say shit! He reached for the door knob only to have her hand close over his. Sanzo turned slightly, which gave her the opportunity to kiss him quickly.

"I won't be here."

"Oh?" WHAT? After all that and she wasn't going to stay? He truly hoped this wasn't her idea of flirting. Flirting was so... stupid! Gojyo had mentioned before about some women playing hard to get...

"Well, it's a little too risky, don't you think? Staying at the same inn as the four of you," she continued quickly. "There's another inn up the road from here. It looks a little more expensive than this one, but it'll be much safer. I'll leave tonight and you can stop by whenever you'd like."

He kept his face carefully blank, even though relief was flooding him. "We'll see," he answered before opening the door and leaving. This was good, he thought. This was very good. After almost a month of not seeing her, he'd have ten days. And he would use them, no matter what happened with the rest of their group. Goku could choke to death on his food and he'd still find some way to see Yaone. Speaking of the monkey...

Sanzo's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Goku was still trying to keep him out, and doing a lousy job of it. He could still pick up the emotions, all of them angry, hurt and... worried? Just what the hell had that kid gotten himself into now? "I'll see you tomorrow night." The door locked behind him as he went down the stairs, pulling out his cigarettes. Just what had the dumb ape gotten himself into this time?

>>>>>>>>>>

Gojyo quickly dove off of Asai when the green house door was yanked open. "Here's your shoe, Asai," he called loudly. "It was just so dark-,"

"Gojyo, it's just me," Hakkai said quickly, coming in.

Hakkai was dead. He would steal Sanzo's gun and put a fucking hole right through his head. Getting to his feet and fastening his jeans while Asai quickly straightened her dress, blushing so dark it was noticeable in the shadows, he growled, "Hey, Hakkai. Fancy seeing you in here!" Grabbing his friend's arm roughly, he leaned in closer and hissed, "Do you MIND? I was just about to-,"

"Goku's missing!"

Something in the way he said that told him it wasn't missing as in searching for a meatbun stand. Grabbing his shirt from the ground, Gojyo kissed Asai quickly and said, "I'll be back later, babe! Gotta go whack the monkey."

"Oh... um, okay?" She finished fastening her dress back up and began to get the herbs her mother had asked for almost an hour ago.

As he fought with his shirt to get it on the right way, Gojyo glanced over at Hakkai's obviously concerned face. "So, spill. Did he and the monk have another lover's quarrel."

"Funny you should say that..."

Eh? "Wait... you don't mean to tell me-,"

Hakkai rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't walk in on them! Goku came to our room and said he couldn't find Sanzo. He said he looked everywhere-,"

"-Did he try looking in his own room?" That was where the pain in the ass said he would be, after all. He could easily see Goku forgetting to look in the very place Sanzo said he would be.

"Yes, he did. And I did, too. Sanzo wasn't there."

Now he was really confused! "But you said Goku was-," Was he hearing things or something? They were supposed to be locating Goku, not Sanzo!

"Sanzo can take care of himself," Hakkai stated firmly, eyes darting back and forth down the street. "I need you to help me find Goku."

"You dragged me away from a hot chick because His Holy Fuck-Face won't find his pet?" Gojyo snarled, stopping dead in his tracks. Forget killing him, Hakkai was gonna suffer slowly!

"No," Hakkai said slowly, turning around with his arms crossed over his chest and a dark gleam to his eyes. Uh-oh... he was getting close to Pissy Mode. Not good! "I need you to help me because you're the only one who might know where Goku is."

"Is that so?" Gojyo's crimson eyes slid over to the potsticker stall they were standing in front of. "Yo, you see a boy about this tall with brown hair and gold eyes? Looks like a monkey and is dumber than shit?" The people behind the counter blinked but didn't respond. Turning back to Hakkai, he arched a brow triumphantly. "See? Not so hard to ask around."

Hakkai's cheeks turned bright red. "Goku didn't go out for food," he said sharply, keeping his voice down.

"Where the hell else would he have gone?"

"A whorehouse."

Gojyo stopped, jaw dropping. Wait a second... maybe he was drunk. Or maybe he'd gotten sucked into some weird alternate universe... "Uh... I didn't catch that," he said softly. 'Goku' and 'whorehouse' didn't go together.

"Goku took his money and went off to buy a prostitute," Hakkai explained again, jaw tightening angrily.

"WHAT MONEY? The little shit has cash? He owes me still from the last poker game!" Gojyo stomped ahead of Hakkai, turning down a dark alley. He knew exactly where to go now!

"Gojyo, where are you going?" Hakkai called as he ran to catch up.

"To the red light district, of course. That chimp has my money and I want it back!" His mind went over the different brothels in the district, lighting a cigarette to help calm himself down from the shock of Goku being in one of those joints. He needed to think like the monkey, which meant he shouldn't think at all. Goku would either stop at the first one he came to or one that had something to do with food. That narrowed it down from fifteen to four. He liked those odds.

"Hakkai?"

"Yes?"

"Let's fix him when we get back."

Hakkai laughed, but it wasn't a pleasant one. "There's a veterinarian about three blocks up from the hotel," he offered.

Gojyo flashed a wicked smile over at his shorter friend. "Yeah, and she's cute, too. If you seduce her, we might get it done for free!"

"Oh, um...ahaha... I don't know about that!"

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo looked up at the place, one eyebrow raised doubtfully. This was where Goku was? He'd followed the bond they had, the emotions getting stronger and more confusing the closer he got. It wasn't until he got near the brothel that he'd picked up on something completely alien from Goku; lust. He knew Goku liked girls, and wasn't necessarily surprised by the emotion so much as the intensity behind it. Someone was making him a very happy monkey, which pissed him off even more. That idiot! Lips twisting in a sneer, Sanzo stepped through the beaded entrance and was immediately greeted by the owner.

"You are most welcome, sir," the man began, bowing low. "Welcome to the Tenderloin."

The Tenderloin? "You've gotta be shitting me," he muttered under his breath. It just figured Goku would pick a place like this! "Listen, I'm looking for someone-,"

"Every gentleman who comes here is! What would be your pleasure?" The man clapped his hands and the curtains on either side parted, revealing women that were barely clothed and undulating like snakes. Fucking hell... Sanzo glared at the one who made a kissy face at him and she froze, eyes widening. Good, let the slut be afraid of him. He wasn't in the mood to deal with this!

"I'm not looking for a woman. I'm looking for a boy, about five-five, brown hair and golden eyes."

The man looked confused. "We don't... really cater to THOSE apetites."

Sanzo groaned inwardly, covering his eyes with one hand as he fought to urge to pull his gun and shoot this dumb fuck right in the head. "I'm not looking for sex, alright? I'm looking for a patron who fits that description. He's in my care and I know he's here."

Drawing himself up, eyes darkening fiercely, the man said coldly, "We protect our patrons' rights to privacy, sir. Please leave at-,"

Sanzo clicked the safety off, leveling it right to the man's head. "Listen, shit for brains, I'm not kidding around here! Where is he?"

"S-Sanzo?"

Sanzo craned his neck around to look over the fat man's shoulder. Goku was coming down the stairs, golden eyes wide and looking like he was about to puke all over the floor. There was a young woman behind him, dressed in a silk robe. She was a lot taller than Goku. Her hand was on his shoulder, but not in a way that would suggest they had sex. "Get over here NOW!"

Goku winced and ran over, turning back only enough to wave. "Bye, Miya!"

"Bye, Goku," the woman called back as they left.

Sanzo talk to him. Hell, he couldn't even LOOK at him right then! Just what the hell was going on in that thick skull of his?

"Sanzo?"

"Shut up!" He lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply. Goku was jogging to keep up with his fast pace. What on earth would possess Goku to do something like this? it was like he went from blushing to brazen in the space of one day! Maybe he'd hit the kid a couple too many times in the head. Maybe Gojyo was to rub off on all of them.

_Or maybe Goku's just growing up. He IS going to be nineteen this year!_

There was always that option. But still... this wasn't the same person who'd helped him into the inn not even two days ago. This was someone completely different, someone he wasn't quite sure what to do with. And right now, he couldn't talk to Goku, not without blowing up. Yelling at him wouldn't do any good, not in a situation like this. After all, he WAS old enough to be inside a brothel. Sanzo snuck a glance over at his charge as he took a hit, eyes narrowing. Goku looked ready to burst into tears at any second. And he wasn't trying to hide himself anymore, which meant he was flooding Sanzo with thoughts and feelings, most of them embarassment, shame and self-loathing. Shit...

They got back to the inn and walked up the stairs, Sanzo fishing the room key out of his pocket. Still neither of them said a word. He held the door open for Goku, who quickly shuffled by, not even daring to pick his head up. After locking the door, Sanzo stubbed out his cigarette, crossing his arms over his chest. Goku stood in front of him and still refused to pick his head up. Gods, this was going to be a long night!

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku waited, barely breathing, heart thunking hard into his chest. Sanzo was pissed. He didn't need to see the monk's face to know it. And, so what if he was? Everyone else could go off and have sex, why couldn't he? Even as he thought the words, he knew there was nothing to them. He really didn't know why he'd gone out to such a nasty place. Miya had been very nice, though. She'd tried to make him comfortable.. and when she figured out he wasn't really into it, she pulled out a pack of cards and taught him a really cool new game. He couldn't wait to kick Gojyo's ass in it! That was, until he saw Sanzo waving his gun around in front of the owner's face.

And now Sanzo was just staring at him, arms crossed over his chest. Goku wouldn't look up passed his folded arms. Any second now and the fan was gonna hit him in the head. Any second...

"So, start talking. What the hell were you doing there?"

Goku flinched just as if the fan actually HAD hit him. When Sanzo spoke to him like that, in an almost gentle way, it was worse than getting beaten up. He figured it was because he could tell Sanzo was disappointed, and he didn't like the fact that it was HIM he was disappointed in. Gojyo was fine, and even Hakkai. But... Sanzo was all he had. He was beginning to hate himself for even THINKING about going to that place!

"Stop the self-pity crap and answer the question," Sanzo bit out, now edging back toward angry again.

"I," Goku began, swallowing hard. "I just wanted to know..." He couldn't finish. It was too embarassing.

"You wanted to know... what?"

"What was so special about a woman to keep you sneakin' out all the time for one," Goku blurted out quickly.

He could sense more than see the shock on Sanzo's face. "You wanted to... what the fuck kind of sense is that?"

Goku finally looked up, meeting the glaring violet eyes with a glare of of his own. "You're actin' weird," he finally burst out, hands curling into fists at his side. "You're actin' weird an' your sneakin' around all the time! Gojyo laughs at me, and Hakkai says I'm bein' stupid, but I know it'c cuz you're off with women!"

"You're about this close to getting the shit knocked out of your head," the monk said coldly, eyes narrowing. "What business is it of yours, or anyone elses, what I do with my time?"

"It's not my business but... you've never done it before! An' why are you hidin' it? I hate you sneakin' off without me! I HATE you keepin' secrets from me! You know everything about me. Why can't I know about you?" Goku knew he was starting to sound like a stupid brat, but he didn't care. Everyone else either didn't care or were too afraid of getting shot at to bring it up, but it was all true. Sanzo WAS acting weird, even if it was just a little.

Both stood glaring at each other, neither one moving. Goku could actually see the fine tremor running through Sanzo's shoulders and knew he'd either pushed him to the point where he might actually kill him, or he was finally going to come clean. Finally, Sanzo turned away, shaking his head. "Son of a bitch... I wasn't trained for this," he muttered. Goku watched his tense back, still boiling over from having gotten it all out. "Goku?"

"Yeah?"

"Sit down. We need to talk."

Blinking in surprise, Goku took a seat at the small table numbly. They needed to talk? That was... unexpected.

"All that stuff you just spouted is bullshit," Sanzo continued, not turning around from where he was staring out the window. "I don't keep things from you, but what I do alone is none of your goddamn business. And the same is true for you. If you want to go out and fuck-,"

"-I don't like saying it like that," Goku interupted. That sounded... well, it sounded really dirty. Like something Gojyo would do.

Sanzo did glance at him over his shoulder, eyebrow arched. "Going out to a whorehouse looking for a woman is called 'fucking'. No amount of pretty words will change that fact, so stop lying about it."

"Then is that what you do?"

"No."

Goku shook his head, completely confused now. How could it be different for Sanzo? "But... But I thought you just said-,"

"Fucking means you have sex with the hooker. That's all I'm saying on the matter," Sanzo ground out tightly. Goku could almost see the angry vein popping out on his forehead. And then it clicked what that would mean in his head and he couldn't help grinning.

"Get that stupid smile off your face before I breaking your damn jaw!" The monk was beyond embarassed now, he could tell, and it only made him grin wider.

"So... that means you're a-,"

"I said drop it!" He spun around now, the moonlight catching in his hair and turning it pale gold. Goku shivered at how ghostly he looked. Sanzo always looked so much more alive under the sun. Like this, he could almost imagine he was dead... stop that! He didn't want to think about that!

"It's your time," Sanzo continued in that same soft voice. "You can do what you want with it. But ask yourself this; is this really what you want? Do you really want to waste your money on some random woman just to get back at me?"

"I never said-."

"You never did, but that's what the real problem is, isn't it? I wasn't here, you couldn't find me and you got angry."

Goku squirmed in his chair. He knew Sanzo was sort of right... but he didn't want to say it out loud! "I guess," he mumbled.

Sanzo let out a long breath, rubbing the back of his neck like it hurt. He finally sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning forward a little. "I don't think I need to tell you Gojyo's view on sex is extremely skewed."

That made him snicker. "Pervy kappa..."

"Hakkai would be the best one to go to about it. He's careful and he'll be patient enough to deal with you."

"Why can't you do it?"

Sanzo glared at him, and that was enough. Goku couldn't keep from snickering again. He couldn't tell him... because he didn't know!

"Can it or die!"

"Sorry... heehee... Gojyo'd shit a brick if he..."

Long fingers wound into his hair and yanked hard enough to hurt. "You mention one word about this conversation and you'll wake up in the world beyond," Sanzo snarled angrily. "Like I said, it's my business, not yours and certainly not Gojyo's! If he so much as gives me a funny look-,"

"-OW! Okay, okay, I got it! I was just teasin' ya!"

Sanzo released him roughly, leaning back in his chair and pulling out his cigarettes. Goku was still smiling, rubbing his hair where a few pieces had been pulled out. "As if you're one to talk, monkey," the monk muttered. "You buy a whore and you still don't get laid."

"HEY! That's really low!"

"And what do you think Gojyo would do if he knew that?" There was a slight twist of lips that meant Sanzo was smirking. Goku laughed and ventured enough to shove him lightly. He was only kidding him... maybe. He HOPED Sanzo was only kidding...

"You wouldn't really tell Gojyo, would you?"

Sanzo arched a single brow, the smirk still to his lips. "That's how blackmail works. I keep my mouth shut, if you do. And what the fuck did you DO there for so long if you didn't get laid?"

Goku dug into his pocket for the playing cards Miya had given to him. They were really pretty, with lots of flowers all over them. "She taught me how to play Rummy!"

"Are you kidding me? You bought a hooker and had hwer teach you how to play cards?"

Pausing as he shuffled the deck, Goku glanced up when he noticed Sanzo laughing silently. "Is this gonna be blackmail, too?"

"Oh, yeah! Only you would do something like that. I swear to the gods..."

Goku continued to shuffle, finally allowing himself a chuckle as Sanzo shook his head before lighting a cigarette. "Miya, that's her name, said I was pretty good an' taught me all these tricks to help me win. Gojyo's gonna get his ass kicked-,"

The door burst open and both jumped, the cigarette nearly falling from Sanzo's mouth as Gojyo filled the doorway, a murderous glare in his eyes. Hakkai was right behind him and didn't look too happy either. Sanzo coughed, waving a hand in front of his nose at the horrid smell that followed them in. "Fucking hell!"

"Ew, you guys reek," Goku exclaimed, pinching his nose. In fact, he could see bits of cabbage in Gojyo's hair, a banana peel on Hakkai's shoulder and brownish sludge caked all over them. They were NASTY!

"Yeah, no shit we reek, ya goddamn ape," Gojyo railed, storming into the room. Goku yelped as he was headlocked , his face rubbed right into the mess.

"Ack... Lemme go... stupid cockroach! Sanzo... heeeeeelp!"

"What the hell happened to you two?" Sanzo asked, keeping a wary eye on Hakkai, who was walking over to the bathroom quickly, extremely tense.

"I need to shower. I'm not talking to anyone until I'm clean," the green-eyed man stated firmly. Even Gojyo looked up in surprise at the curt response.

"Gojyo?" Sanzo pressed, eyes still on the door that slammed shut.

"You wanna know what the fuck happened to us?" Gojyo continued to shout, still keeping his arm locked around Goku's neck. Damn it all! He could never break one of the stupid kappa's pins! Goku continued to push and pull and tug, and Gojyo continued to hang on, making sure he got a good whiff of all the crap covering him. "This stupid little fuck announced to all the world he was gonna be a man and pop his cherry-,"

"Pop my WHAT?" Goku hollered. Did he say something about cherries? He LOVED cherries! But he didn't think Gojyo was talking about food for some reason...

"And Hakkai drags my ass away SECONDS before I'm about to put a move on As... on some hot chick," he quickly corrected, remembering where they were and that the door was still open. "You wanna know why he interupted me? It was to find your stupid, worhtless, good-for-nothin' MONKEY! Who, as it turns out, owes me money, which he used to buy a hooker!"

"I don't owe you any- oh, yeah... sorry, I forgot!" Goku tried to hook his leg through Gojyo's and trip the red-head to the ground but he got a booted foot stomped right on top of his instead. "OW! That hurt!"

"Good, you've got plenty more pain comin', you little twerp! So, we go around the entire red light district, trying to find his ass and we stop at a delightful little place called The Tenderloin. And what do you think we found there?"

"Is that rhetorical?" Sanzo remarked dryly, sliding the newspaper across the table before idly opening it.

"Don't you DARE read the paper while I'm yellin'," Gojyo roared, arm tightening when Goku tried to just bowl him over.

"OW! An' don't talk to Sanzo like that either, pervert!" Goku winced again when the arm tightened even more before easing up a little.

"The owner was practically pissing himself over some crazy blonde with a gun. There's only one crayz blonde I know of who sports a piece, so that had to mean Dipshit here was near by. So, Hakkai asked politely... and we had the cops called on us for making threats! We just spent the last fourty-five minutes of our lives running from the cops. We've been in three dumpsters, seven alleys, and five brothels. We've been chased, someone tried to mug us AND that goddamn dragon was in a tizzy and refused to transform!"

"So basically, you're pissed off at Goku?" Sanzo put his glasses on and began to read.

"HELL, YEAH I AM! And I'm gonna beat it out on him!"

"And which of the four of us decided about a month ago to take a side trip back, making us turng around and follow him only to get our asses handed to us, the scripture stolen, and then delay us for another two weeks because we had to go back and get beaten up again in order to reclaim the scripture?"

"Not to mention all those creepy toys," Goku supplied.

Gojyo's eyes widened a touch, his glare intensifying. Finally, he let Goku go, chuckling. "Damn... that was cold!"

"Now get the fuck out of my room before it starts to smell like garbage!"

"Fuck you," Gojyo shouted back as he went into his own room, slamming the door.

"Goku, shut the door."

Goku ran over to the door, smelling his shirt to see how bad the stench was. He was about to shut the door when he paused, watching as the end of a cloak quickly disappeared down the stairs. For a second... naw, it couldn't be! But maybe... he shook his head and shut the door. He really WAS stupid sometimes! For a second, he could have sworn he saw Yaone. "Hurry up, Hakkai, Gojyo's grossness is all over me," he called, banging on the door.


	19. Chapter 19

"Woohoo! Someone's trying to make himself pretty!"

Hakkai looked up from his cards at Gojyo's little comment. Goku was either ignoring the kappa or was so engrossed in the rice balls Ming had brought up for them that he didn't notice. And it was probably a good thing too after what happened the night before.

"Fuck off," Sanzo muttered, fastening his belt around new blue jeans. He'd obviously gone out earlier to get some new cloths. His robes and leathers were being repaired, and his other change of clothing was so worn he could have used some new threads anyway. But to go shopping on his own? That was certainly odd! Usually, he told Hakkai what he wanted and the green-eyed man would get it for him.

"You got a date or something?" Gojyo continued to tease, pushing a piece of hair back over his shoulder. The rest of the thick red mass was tied back, drawing more attention to the incredibly exotic eyes. Hakkai kicked his friend under the table, giving him a warning glare. It was never wise to tease Sanzo, and it was detrimental to one's health to tease him on THAT subject.

A gun seemed to appear out of nowhere, pressing into Gojyo's temple. Gojyo froze, eyes sliding over to the angry blonde. "I said, fuck off," Sanzo repeated more firmly before pulling the gun away.

"Shit, man... " Gojyo cast one final glare before shuffling the cards in his hands. That was one of his tells, one that meant he didn't have a single thing. Hakkai carefully kept the pleasant smile steady. Gojyo could read a person like a book. One little twist of lip and he'd know Hakkai had caught on.

"You look very nice Sanzo," Hakkai said, eyes flicking over to Goku. Not that he needed to see the boy to know he was dead in the water. Goku was making little faces and puffing his cheeks out irritably. He himself had a pair and that was about all he could do with the cards. Well, it wasn't a pretty win, but it would do under the circumstances.

"Whatever. I'm going out."

"Are ya comin' back?" Goku asked, finally joining the conversation. Hakkai and Gojyo both exchanged worried glances when they saw the curtain fall over those usually expressive golden eyes. Since when had Goku started hiding his thoughts like that?

The monk and the monkey stared at each other for a long time before Sanzo grabbed his cigarettes off the table, fixed the new shirt over the Maten Sutra at his back and walked out.

"Okay, so spill it, ape! What's going on with our most revered holy pin-up?"

Goku shrugged, suddenly very interested in his cards. "I dunno," he mumbled.

"And you shouldn't press it either, Gojyo, not unless you want your livelihood removed from your body," Hakkai advised with another cold glare.

"Wait a minute, you knew about this, too?" Gojyo slumped back in his chair, shaking his head as he lit a cigarette. "Goddamn it, how fucking long has this been going on?"

"A few months now."

"WHAT? Where the fuck was I- oh... that's right." He grinned, rubbing his neck where a faint hickey was just peeking out from under his ear. Hakkai had walked in on him and Asai, and was a little glad he did. If he hadn't...

Hakkai pet Hakuryu when the little dragon chirped from his shoulder. "As I said, unless you want him to do worse than kill you, please don't mention it to him. Sanzo's a little sensitive about his privacy."

"Yeah, I'll say," the red-head muttered before throwing a bag of beef jerky on the table. "I threw in what cash I had, and I'm raising you bastards my beef jerky."

"HEY! You told me you didn't have any food," Goku exclaimed.

"I told you I didn't have any MONKEY food! Does that look like monkey food to you?" Gojyo shouted back, slapping his cards face down on the table.

"How many times do I have to tell ya, ya stupid water sprite? I am NOT a MONKEY!"

"All you're missin' is the tail, dimwit!"

Hakkai let out a weary sigh and began collecting his meager winnings. So much for a friendly game of poker!

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo stood outside the inn, annoyed with himself. Now that he was here, he had no clue how to proceed. Did he just walk up to the desk and ask for her room? Did he send someone up? What the fuck did he DO? "This is such bullshit!" Stubbing out his cigarette, he took the first step by walking through the door. That way he wasn't creeping around outside like a certain pervert he knew.

"Hello," the girl at the desk said cheerfully. Great... an overly enthusiastic clerk. Chipper people needed to die. "You definately fit the description. Wow, she said you were good looking, but what an understatement!"

"Excuse me?" Was she... checking him out? Must be the new cloths. The woman at the store had said they looked nice on him. It had to be the cloths if this tart was being so brazen as strip him naked with her eyes. Usually he didn't get such an open assessment.

Grinning, blue eyes still looking him up and down, the girl came around the counter. "You're looking for Miss Yaone, right? She said you might be stopping by. Said to show you back to the kitchen when you got here... but you'd probably have more fun if you stayed up here."

"I doubt it," he replied, watching as blue eyes turned from eager to hurt in the space of a few words. Whatever, she wasn't his concern. He was here for someone less cheerful and certainly a great deal less annoying. "You said she was in the kitchen?" What the hell was she doing there?

"Yes," the girl replied glumly, giving him an exaggerated pout. "She said to tell you to go straight back, that she had something planned."

Oh, really? A little curious as to what could possibly be of interest in the kitchen, Sanzo walked through the small, empty bar to the set of swinging doors at the other end. He knew blue eyes were watching him, but didn't give her the gratification of glancing back. If she wanted to stare, fine. Staring wasn't going to make him want her. Pushing through the doors, he paused, looking around in confusion. What the...

"Oh, good! I see Chei delivered the message." Yaone was at one end of the long stone topped island, cutting through some vegetables. Gold bracelets jangled against her wrist and it took him a second before he realized they were limiters. It made sense, considering she was a youkai in a very human place. There were two other women in the room, both occupied with fixing food for guests. She smiled quickly at him, blowing a piece of hair out of her eyes. "There's a stool over here if you want to take a seat."

Sanzo went over to where she indicated with the knife, pulling the wooden stool out and sitting down. "What is all this?" he asked, taking in the clutter around her.

"It's dinner. Ashka, Chei's mother and the owner of the inn, said I could have a discount if I prepared my own meals. So..."

"Is it really that expensive here?" He felt a little guilty that she'd been forced to move into a place she couldn't afford... but then again, he wasn't forcing her to stay. Even if he WAS pleased she did.

Yaone flashed a quick little smile before hacking through an onion bulb. "Nothing I can't get reimbursed through the castle," she answered. "Here, roll your sleeves up. It'll go faster if we both do this."

"Are you joking?" THIS was her plan? To make him cook? Like hell!

"You don't have to if you don't want to... but shish kabobs take longer to prepare than to cook. And I still have dessert to get started."

She was insane. Absolutely crazy and ridiculous... Shaking his head, Sanzo rolled the sleeves back on his burgundy shirt. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered.

"You look very nice, by the way. Did you pick that out or did Hakkai?"

"Hakkai didn't pick out shit!" The woman at the store did, truthfully.

Yaone laughed, pushing over a bunch of cut onion, tomato wedges, green peppers, mushrooms and a bowl of meat swimming in an odd orange sauce. "There should be another bowl of skewers soaking behind that bag of almonds. Start by putting either an onion or a green pepper at one end, and then start throwing the other ingredients on. Put another onion or green pepper on the end to hold them in place and set them on the platter there."

"What kind of meat is this?" He sniffed at the bowl, not recognizing anything beyond salt and pepper.

"It's lamb. And the marinade is mango, saffron, salt, pepper and a little ginger."

"What's saffron?" He'd heard about Indian food being over seasoned. This was getting worse and worse by the minute.

Her only response was a little smile. "You'll find out soon enough, but I'm fairly certain you'll like it. It's more common when you get a little deeper into India." Yaone left him to do that while she went over to one of the sinks with the cutting board and kinves, washing her hands and the items off. Still almost overwhelmed by the fact she actually expected him to cook (wasn't that what chefs were for?), Sanzo leaned across the table top and found the bamboo skewers soaking in water. Weird... He shook off the first one and stabbed the piece of green pepper on violently. That one was Hakkai... and the tomato could be Gojyo... The idea of the vegetables being his traveling companions was an amusing one, not to mention stress relieving without wasting bullets. Maybe this whole cooking thing wasn't as fucked up as he thought.

Yaone came back over with a wide metal bowl and what looked like cheese cloth. "Is everything alright with Goku?" she asked, straightening the dark green tunic she wore over black pants. He caught himself staring at where the fabric hugged her and quickly corrected it, angry at himself for being so completely weak. No wonder most monks avoided women like the plague!

"Fine. He went out to buy a hooker last night."

Yaone dropped the bowl, giving him wide startled eyes. "Goku bought... You're joking, right?"

Sanzo shook his head, unable to keep the little smile from coming to his lips. Her reaction was just too perfect. "Went to a place called The Tenderloin and bought a hooker who taught him how to play cards."

"Wait... Why would he... you know what, I really don't think I want to know!" Shaking her head, she opened a small, well sealed pouch by her side. Sanzo sat up a little, watching as she put small pinches of a rich golden herb into the bowl. Noticing his interest, she said, "This is what saffron looks like. You don't need much of it to season a dish. It's gotten more expensive what with all these foreign traders buying it up in bulk."

"And what are you using it in now?"

"Rice. Saffron rice is classic with kabobs. My mother used to add pine nuts, too. I couldn't find any, though, so I'm sorry you won't be able to try it like that." She moved away again, dumping some rice into the bowl with a little water and setting it on the gas stove. She covered the entire thing in the cheese cloth, wrapping it tightly so the material was taught. "A lot of the flavor in saffron is lost in the steam, so by covering the rice like this, it allows the air to get out and the saffron to stay in."

Sanzo continued stabbing the vegetables onto the skewer, biting back anything harsher than a, "Goddamn it," when one would break or not go on straight. This was a pain in the ass! If this was all they had to serve in India, dinner was going to take twice as long as it already did. He glanced up again when she spilled a good portion of the almonds onto the table, crushing them with a wooden roller. "What's that for?"

"Dessert. Ever have honey cakes?"

He shook his head. Yes, he was positive now. She had moved beyond being insane to being incurably insane.

"They're delicious! Not too filling and not too sweet. All I'm asking is that you try it, you don't have to eat the whole thing." She knew he didn't care much for sweet things. But, seeing as she WAS making it... he let out a long breath, scowling as he finished the last skewer.

"I'm done. Now what?"

Yaone gave him a surprised look before laughing. "I guess, if you want, you can always continue smashing the almonds up. That'll give me a chance to get the kabobs on the grilling plate."

He traded places with her after washing his hands off, grimacing at the nastiness coating his fingers. There was a perfectly good reason he didn't cook, besides the fact that he didn't see a reason to. Pushing down hard on the wooden roller, he got some small satisfaction out of the crunching sound underneath. His left arm ached a little, but it wasn't throbbing nearly as badly as the day before. "I take it you do this a lot."

"No, not really. Lord Kougaiji has no need for a cook," she explained. There was a flare of heat from behind him and he looked back just to make sure she hadn't lit the whole damn place on fire. She was dropping the kabobs onto a grill top that was positioned over a gas range. "I haven't made anything like this in... oh, quite a few years."

"So there's a good chance this could all taste like shit?"

She tossed a glare over her shoulder, but it wasn't even close to being meant as a real threat. "If it tastes like shit, just drink more so you won't notice!"

"Screw you."

Laughing again, she came back over to the table, watching as both of the other women left talking about how long the turkey should cook. "About damn time they left!" she muttered before sliding her hand beneath his jaw and turning him to face her. Sanzo paused in mauling the almonds when she kissed him lightly, just a quick little thing that was there and gone too soon for his liking.

"I can do that now, if you want," she said, pulling back just enough to speak.

"Whatever." Neither one made any indication they were ready to move. Leaning down the slight inch that separated them in height, his mouth moved against hers again, one hand going to her hip to pull her in closer. That same feeling of liquid heat pounding through his body came over him as the kiss deepend, tongues brushing more urgently. Taking a risk, he trailed his mouth lower, down to the side of her neck as far as the high neck of the tunic would allow. The reaction he got was completely worth the momentary uncertainty of what he was doing. She moaned a little, arms going around his neck, her own lips touching his shoulder through the shirt before moving a little higher up. A hiss escaped him when those lips pulled lightly on his ear lobe. Holy fucking...

"Oh, shit!" Sanzo tripped a little when she suddenly jerked free and ran back over to the smoking kabobs. He shook his head, trying to clear it from the almost overwhelming sensations taking over him. Damn... and to think he'd been avoiding that sort of contact his entire life. How incredibly blind of him. More than before, he really hated Indian cuisine. If it weren't for those fucking kabobs...

"Are those almonds done?" she asked.

"How the hell should I know? And if they aren't, it's your fault."

Yaone stood next to him, keeping a little distance between them. A smart idea seeing as they WERE in a public place. Her cheeks were still flushed a bit as she grabbed a rag and wiped her hands. "That'll do. Use the oven mitts over there and dump the water out of the rice through the cheese cloth into the sink."

"Then do what with it?"

"Just leave it in the bowl. It'll be easier to carry up to the room. And if you don't mind just putting the kabobs in there as well."

Sanzo did as she asked, gritting his teeth as the steam from the pot brushed against his bare forearms enough to turn the skin pink and make the bruising on his left arm throb. "Son of a bitch!"

"What? Did you burn yourself?"

"Stop fussing and finish whatever the hell you're doing so we can eat!"

She hesitated only a moment longer before the door to the oven shut. "I'll look at it upstairs. Here, you take the place settings, I'll get the food."

Sanzo passed the still hot bowl over, waiting until Yaone had a towel wrapped around her arm to protect it from the heat. "What about the oven?"

"I already arranged for Ashka to bring it up when it goes off. Come on." He followed her out of the kitchen, holding the plates, chopsticks and glasses awkwardly. This had to be one of the most unusual nights of his life! First he had to help cook dinner. Now he was carting utensils up to her room like a servant. What next, he'd get drunk and shave his head?

Yaone held the bowl carefully as she fished into her pocket and pulled out the key, unlocking the door. She held it open for him before setting the hot dish hastily on the table.

"Damn, your room's a lot nicer than ours," he muttered, looking around appreciatively. Not that Sarat didn't take good care of them. But this was like a fucking palace compared to the two small rooms they shared.

She laughed, shutting the door and locking it. "Well, it didn't come cheaply, remember that." She set an oddly shaped corked bottle made of blue stained glass on the table and opened the familiar container of cream for his arm. "Let's take care of that first, alright?"

"You're acting like a mother."

"I'm acting like someone who's concerned for you." She grabbed his arm, rubbing the blessedly numbing stuff right into his skin, being careful not to press too hard. "Does it bother you?"

"What?"

"That I do worry about you?"

Sanzo refused to answer. Yes, it did bother him, but not because she did worry. It was because he didn't want her to feel she had to. He was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. "Is this stuff something found in shops?"

"Not in this strength. This is made specifically for youkai flesh, but with injuries like this it does wonders for humans as well. Usually, it's only used for minor cuts and bruises, as well as aching muscles."

He wasn't entirely sure he liked having a youkai product smeared all over him, but it was doing a hell of a job easing his arm so he wouldn't argue the point. "What's in the bottle?"

Yaone smiled mischievously. "A special treat," she said. "I seem to recall you saying you liked cashews, correct? This is something called cajuchi. It's a liquor made from cashews. As potent as vodka, but easier on the throat." She uncorked it and poured a small amount into a glass, handing it over to him.

Sanzo sniffed it suspiciously. It smelled exactly like cashews but with an underlying scent that could only come from alcohol. He sipped it slowly, eyes widening in surprise at how good it was. "This is called cajuchi?"

Smile widening, she nodded and poured him more when he held the glass out. "It's something the area around Houtu Castle is noted for making. It's a very complex distilling process, but worth every bit effort in the end, don't you think?"

Tonight was just one surprise after another it seemed. Sanzo sat down when she motioned him to, waiting as she served out their dinner. The rice had taken on that rich golden color from the saffron, and it smelled good as well. That was at least promising. "If you stare at me while I eat this, I'm leaving," he commented when he felt her watching him.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. I'm curious about your reaction," she answered. It was obvious she was trying very hard not to laugh.

"It's creeping me out."

"My apologies." He knew she was trying not to stare at him, but she was doing a lousy job of it. Fine, might as well get it over with, seeing as she wasn't going to eat until he'd tasted it.

He took a bite of the rice... and had to admit it was probably one of the best things he'd ever eaten. The saffron was exotic tasting, but not over powering like he'd been expecting. And he could see how pine nuts would go well with it.

"Well?" Yaone pressed eagerly.

"I'm not dead yet, so it's good."

"I suppose that's the best I'll get out of you." She finally stopped watching him and began on her own dinner. Thank the gods for that! He'd been afraid she was just going to sit there and watch bite after bite disappear down his throat! The whole evening so far was unusual... but he was actually enjoying himself. Maybe she wasn't the crazy one here after all.

>>>>>>>>>>

Zakuro remained kneeling, head bowed before his mistress. From this angle, he could almost see clear up her robes. He was a sucker for lovely skin like hers. "You summoned me, mistress?"

"I did," she purred, trailing blood red claws through his hair. He shivered, relishing the tingle moving up and down his spine. It had been some time since she'd last fucked him. He was beginning to miss that, and hated to human who'd taken his place in her bed. Dr. Ni, the human in question, was nowhere in sight right then.

"It's come to my attention that Dokugakuji and Yaone are no longer in Houtu Castle. It's also suspected that they may be spies for the Sanzo party. I want you to track them down. Kill them and the Sanzo party should you come upon them."

"And what if they aren't spies, mistress?" He knew the answer already, but he had to ask anyway.

"Didn't you hear me? Kill them and the Sanzo Party. Have as much fun as you'd like with our lovely Yaone, but she dies as well, understood?"

"Perfectly, mistress. Thank you for honoring me with this quest." He stood and backed the mandatory ten steps before turning his back to her.

"And Zakuro? If you fail me, no amount of begging will grant you death."

Zakuro smiled over his shoulder. "I would never presume to beg from you, mistress."

Her sultry laughter followed him out of the throne room. Now, to prove his worth and loyalty to Gyokumen Koushu. He would do more than kill them. Genjyo Sanzo would be on his knees screaming before he was done with him! After all, he was Lord Zakuro, master of illusion. Where others had failed, he would succeed. "Genjyo Sanzo, you're mine," he said to himself, lips parting in a malicious smile.


	20. Chapter 20 MATURE

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a MATURE chapter. As in, a gratuitous sex scene... As in, if you have an issue with people getting nekked, this chapter is one you should skip. Because people are hooking up and this whole chapter is sexy goodness. So, again, just so we're all clear... THIS CHAPTER IS RATED MATURE AND YOU SHOULD BUGGER OFF IF YOU DON'T LIKE MATURE STUFF! There, I am disclaimed and you are warned and now onward to the sex scene.

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"Ew... I hate this part!" Goku hissed and scrunched his eyes closed as Hakkai carefuly slipped some tiny scissors between his skin and the stitches laced through it.

"This can't possibly hurt, Goku," he admonished as he began to slowly cut them free.

"No, but it feels gross. I can feel 'em pullin' outta my skin!"

Gojyo's head snapped up at that, cigarette nearly falling from his lips. Sarat was removing the stiches from his back. "Now that you mention it... for fuck's sake, that's just nasty feelin'!"

"This is the last... one," Sarat commented, plucking the little fibers free of Gojyo's skin with tweezers. "Hakkai, do you want me to start on Sanzo?"

"Sanzo... isn't here at the moment," Hakkai answered, shooting a firm glare at Goku when the boy jumped and almost kneed him in the jaw. Honestly, stitches weren't all that bad!

"He's been going out a lot over the last few days, hasn't he?" Sarat questioned, wiping his hands on a spare towel.

No one commented on that. Namely because Gojyo couldn't do it without making some kind of comment, Goku was still a little angry over it, and Hakkai was just too polite. In fact, it had surprised everyone to no end when, on the third day of them being there, Sanzo announced they would be staying an extra fourteen days. That was four more than he'd originally said the day before. Gojyo had made a comment about people getting their rocks polished, which the monk ignored for a change. And then... Sanzo had disappeared. He'd come back the next afternoon but he didn't stay very long. It had taken all the diversionary tactics Hakkai had in his sleeve to keep the other two from following or asking questions that would get them surely killed.

Sighing, the bartender shook his head. "Well, I suppose he can do what he wants, right? You boys want some lunch?"

"YEAH! Can I have ham, turkey, cheese, mayonaise, pickles, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, mustard, bacon, bean sprouts-,"

"WILL YOU SHUT IT, YOU STUPID MONKEY-STOMACH?" Gojyo threw a shoe at Goku's head.

"OW!" Goku rubbed his forehead where it hit, glaring at Gojyo. "You just wait 'til Hakkai's done!"

Gojyo sneered at that, blowing smoke from his lips. "You wanna piece of me? You couldn't HANDLE what I bring!"

Hakkai paused in pulling out the last stitches, eyebrows furrowed. "Wait... I don't think that was grammatically correct, Gojyo."

"Screw you, Hakkai!"

Smiling, he removed the last of the dark threads and stood back just in time for Goku to launch himself onto Gojyo, bowling the taller man right over the back of his chair. "I think leftovers from last night will be fine," he called over the ensuing noise to Sarat, who was still standing in the doorway with a completely shocked look on his face. "No need to trouble yourself further on our account."

"Um... yes, leftovers..." The man winced at a particularly sharp elbow jab thrown into someone's gut and shut the door quietly.

Hakkai rubbed his eyes with one hand. Good grief... "Why, hello, Sanzo! So nice of you to finally return."

Goku yelped and was off of Gojyo so fast it was almost impossible to follow his movements. He looked around the room, pausing when he didn't see Sanzo anywhere. "Hey... Sanzo's not here! YOU TRICKED ME!"

"Naturally. Now, if you two will sit down, we can get in a quick card game before our food arrives."

"FOOOOOOOOOD!"

As Gojyo shuffled and began to deal, Hakkai once again wondered where Sanzo had disappeared to. He'd gone out last night and hadn't come back to the room yet. It was now late afternoon and technically their last real day there to rest. Tomorrow, they would pick up supplies and tackle the mountain on the morning after that. And crossing a mountain with these two... no wonder Sanzo had taken the opportunity presented and vanished! Sighing, he truly hoped the monk hadn't abandoned him with these two. Sanzo was cruel... but this was just downright torture!

"How can you have four aces when I've got one, ya stupid kappa?"

"Maybe because you couldn't tell an ace from your ass, monkey!"

Yes... definately torture. If Sanzo DID leave him, he was a very dead man if Hakkai ever caught up to him. And if he didn't hurry back, he still might be!

>>>>>>>>>>

"Last one and... there! You heal up nicely for a human." Yaone smiled so that he knew she was only teasing him. Sanzo was sitting down in a chair facing sideways to the table, and she was kneeling in front of him with a small bag full of used bandages and stitches pushed slightly under the chair. His face was healed almost completely, but his arms and chest would be sporting a few new scars, all of them no more than thin pink lines against his skin.

Sanzo gave her a mock glare before reaching around behind her shoulder for his cigarettes. In the process, it put his naked chest temptingly close to her mouth and made her wonder if he'd done it on purpose. It was hard to tell sometimes with him. It seemed he truly had no idea how incredibly sexy he was... and then he'd do something like that. An odd mixture of ignorance and experience.

"Thank the gods. Now maybe you'll stop worrying I'll get a paper cut and bleed to death," he replied sarcastically.

Grabbing the cigarette from his mouth before he could light it, she kissed him, sitting back with a smile at the startled expression that quickly turned to one of annoyance. She handed the cigarette back and said, "Here, take it. You're so bitchy without them."

"Hmph. Touch my smokes again and I'll kill you."

"Oh, really?" She hooked her fingers through the belt loops on his jeans, sliding him a little further down in the chair.

Violet eyes darkened to an impossible new shade, one filled with a heated interest. The cigarette remained unlit between his fingers, momentarily forgotten as their eyes met and held. "Really."

His stomach jerked when she ran her fingertips lightly along the waist of his jeans, watching him closely for his reaction. He'd spent all but three nights with her and each night it had become more and more difficult just to fall asleep without 'other things' distracting them. Last night had been the worst. It made her blush a little remembering it. She'd have to find some kind of make-up to cover the hickey he'd accidentally left on her neck. Neither of them had wanted to stop but with him still being stitched up...

But now he wasn't. The only thing that might be an issue was his arm still being heavily bruised. It was already turning a sickly grey and yellow color, and she'd just applied more of the cream to it. It should be fine... maybe. As concerned as she was about possibly hurting him further, who really knew when they'd get a chance to see each other next? It was best to take advantage of that. "It's your last night here, right?"

"Yes." That one word was a little strained, like it had been dragged from his throat.

Yaone ran her hands down his thighs, and then back up again, stopping just short of where he very obviously wanted her to go. "Do you need to go back tonight, or can you stay?" He'd come over yesterday evening; it was now a little after noon the day before they would be leaving. She didn't want him to go, but if he had things he needed to take care of...

Sanzo scoffed at the question. "Hakkai's there. Let him babysit for a change. And if you even think about starting something you won't finish, I'm walking out."

"I didn't start anything last night. You did, if you'll recall." Her smile widened at that stated truth. _His_ hands were the ones that started to wander, not hers!

All she got in response was a muted glare. Using his thighs as leverage, she pushed herself up, leaning in closer. There was a very good way to erase that angry look from Sanzo's face, and it was one she certainly didn't mind using. His lips were parted slightly, anticipating a kiss that never came. Instead, Yaone attacked his jaw line, skimming her lips across the skin of his cheek before moving lower. "What are you-,"

"Questions only complicate things," she commented, her lips just beneath his ear before moving lower to bite very lightly against his pulse. She had to be careful not to get too rough. Human skin was much more delicate than youkai. "And we don't want that... do we?"

"Bitch. You're teasing."

"Mm... teasing implies no intent to finish." She moved lower, glancing up at the noticeably quicker breath. Once again it struck her that maybe no one had ever done this to him before. Strange, considering he'd told her he had experience. Whatever the case, it was obvious Sanzo was enjoying himself. She continued to kiss her way down his chest, taking time to explore the little sensitive areas and enjoy the way his body would respond. He especially seemed to like when she got lower and could just barely lick along the narrow hip bone peeking out over the top of his jeans. A soft groan came from him, making her look up into drowning violet eyes.

"Such a fucking tease," he muttered before his fingers slid into her hair and he leaned forward enough to kiss her hard. There was no doubt at all that he didn't intend to stop tonight. Yaone let him control the kiss, tilting her head a little for a better angle and letting his tongue do the all the work. Still keeping contact through their hands and mouths, she stood up, pulling him with her by gently tugging his jeans. Her arms circled his waist, hands grabbing the tight ass through thick denim, both his hands cupping her face as he backed her right to the edge of the bed. Yaone fell back on it, pulling Sanzo down on top of her. A tease, was she? She'd just have to show him how very wrong he was!

>>>>>>>>>>

Damn it... why did she have to cry? Gojyo raked his fingers back through his hair, pulling the thick mass together and holding it away from his face. Asai stood in front of him, sobbing like he'd just drop kicked her puppy into a twenty foot well. He hadn't done ANYTHING to deserve the tears... and that seemed to be the problem for a change. Usually it was the other way around. "Look, Asai, I'm sorry. To be honest, this is the first time I've actually turned down a gorgeous girl throwing herself at me."

"You just... don't get it... do you?" she continued to wail.

Um, no, he didn't. Wasn't that obvious already? On the one hand, he really couldn't stand to see her crying and know he was the one to make such lovely brown eyes get red and puffy. On the other hand... what the FUCK was she crying for? The two sides warred inside him, the one saying to give her a hug and make her stop while the other told him to fuck it and go back to the room. In the end, the softie won and he looped an arm around her neck, drawing her in close enough to kiss her forehead.

"Listen to me, Asai. You're amazing, probably one of the nicest girls I've ever had the pleasure of kissing dizzy." She sniffled and laughed at that, wiping her eyes. "And if I were anyone but me, I'd find the nearest hay pile and make love to you until you begged me to stop. But... things just ain't that easy, y'know?"

"But why, Gojyo? I don't understand! What do you mean anyone but you?" Asai pressed her palms to his chest, staring up into his eyes so intensely it was like she was trying to see inside his head.

Gojyo brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss lightly to it. "I'm not exactly settling down material, Asai. And I sure as hell ain't father material either. You need the type of guy with a steady job, not some random guy who most likely won't be comin' back alive. You deserve more than a one-night stand."

"Gojyo... please! GOJYO! I LOVE YOU!" She clung to him as he began to back away.

"As soon as the right guy comes along, you'll forget what I even looked like."

He let go of her hand and went back inside the inn, leaving her alone in the garden crying her eyes out. That had to be one of the shittiest things he'd ever done in his life. Hakkai had been right, she liked him a lot more than he'd thought or intended. Damn his good looks and natural charm! Gojyo froze when a lantern was uncovered, revealing Sarat's stern face. Oh, fuck...

Sarat glanced at the door where his daughter could still be heard sobbing. Letting out a long sigh, he patted Gojyo's shoulder as he pushed by him. "Thank you."

"Yeah, no sweat," he mumbled back as Sarat went out to do a father's job and stop the tears. Gojyo shook his head and decided that maybe drinking whiskey with Hakkai was a good idea. Even when saying 'I told you so', Hakkai was good for making him feel less asshole-ish.

>>>>>>>>>>

Gods... her hands. He could hardly think with her touching him like that... just like that! Sanzo sat back up when Yaone pushed against his chest, breathing hard (it would have been more accurate to say panting... but he didn't do something a dog would do), his hands trying to work the tight fitting tunic up further. Why did women's clothing have to be so damn difficult?

"Hold on... let me just... please, don't rip my shirt off!"

"Then get it off, and get it off fast." All this stalling was annoying. He wanted what they'd had last night; flesh on flesh, bodies pressed together so tightly it had almost been painful with the jeans on. That was about the only thing between them, his jeans and her pants. And after her shirt was off, those would be the next things to go.

"My goodness, you're impatient." She flung her shirt somewhere in the room. Who really gave a damn where it landed? What he was interested in was her finishing the process by removing that thing that kept her breasts in place. As soon as that was gone, she was pulling him back down on top of her, reaching between them for the fly to his jeans as their mouths came together again. He couldn't seem to get enough of her lips and tongue or the soft sounds that came with them. It seemed she had the same idea as he did in regards to the rest of their clothing. His entire body spasmed when her hands slipped lower. Yes...

"Shit!" If she touched him like that again, he was done for sure! He grabbed her wrists, haulting any further movements on her part. It was exactly what he'd wanted, but damn... goddamn!

Yaone sat up quickly, worry etched all over her face. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. My claws..."

"You didn't hurt me. It's just..." It had been a while since he'd done anything like this. The last time had been almost four months ago, in the shower by himself. Not exactly the same thing as having someone there. How did he say that without it coming out stupid or pathetic?

Thankfully, she didn't ask him to elaborate and seemed to understand. She nodded, bringing her hands out from the front of his jeans and around to his back. Sanzo let her guide him back down on top of her, her legs on either side of his, hips pressing together, still with clothing on, as their lips took up where they'd left off. If assassins wanted to get him, now was the time for it. All he could really think about clearly was the way she felt against him... and that he better last longer than a minute or he'd be pissed!

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai finished packing away his toothbrush, leaving out only the clothing he would be wearing for the drive tomorrow. It seemed just like yesterday they'd stumbled into this town, bleeding and practically ready to die. Sarat and his family had been more than welcoming to them. It had almost felt like...

What? Home? He smiled to himself, glad no one was there to see how bitter it was. He supposed what he and Gojyo had was a 'home'. He liked it, when it was clean, and he was happy there. But a home usually meant a family. It meant warmth and security and love. Love... that was something he hadn't truly felt in years. Oh, he loved Gojyo, Goku, and even Sanzo, but it wasn't more than a love for friends or brothers. The kind of love he was refering to was the kind he and Kanan had. One that quite literally was eternal.

Sighing, he opened the small drawer in his bedside table and pulled out the broken watch he'd carried with him over the years. It was the only possession he'd kept from that time. He ran his thumb along the crack in the glass face, felt the familiar dents in the back, heard the clacking of cogs as they slid around inside the broken frame. It was stopped at exactly the time Kanan had been taken.

Hakkai stretched out on his bed, keeping his back to the door. If someone walked in, he didn't want them to see what he had. Gojyo knew he still kept it, but that was fine with him. Gojyo was the only one who truly knew the extent of things. Sanzo knew enough that he could sympathize with such a tragic loss, but he didn't ask or really care to know the details. And Goku, well... he'd only try and make things all better. A sweet gesture, but not everything in the world can be fixed with candy and smiles. Goku was still innocent enough to believe that, thank God. besides, if he didn't they'd just be one cynical ball of self-loathing and remorse. And that wouldn't make for a very interesting trip west, would it?

He squeezed his hand tightly around the watch, the chain slipping down from around his hand to pool on the crisp blue sheets. Right then, he was truly jealous of Sanzo. It wasn't fair that he could be so coldly removed from everything. True, he still felt the death of his master keenly, but he didn't let it haunt him every day. He wanted that. He was sick of hiding behind smiles all the time. He just wanted to stop being ripped apart inside when he thought of her. He wanted to know that kind of love again, feel for someone else what he felt for her.

_Kanan, please... I love you and I always will. But please, just let me go._

The bed dipped, making his eyes fly open. Hakkai picked his head up, quickly jamming the watch under his pillow. He hadn't heard the door open, he'd been so lost in the past. Cigarette smoke wafted to his nostrils and the flare caught in crimson eyes watching him closely. "We're pathetic, you know this, right?"

Smiling at Gojyo, Hakkai dropped his head back onto the pillow. "You're wrong."

"Oh?"

"We're incredibly pathetic."

Gojyo snorted out a laugh. "That sounds about right. I hate women."

"You do not!" The very idea of Gojyo hating women... Hakkai rolled over so that he was on his back and could see his friend better where he sat at the foot of the bed.

"I do. They shouldn't be allowed to cry. It makes things worse." Another flare of cigarette told him he was still being watched by the red-head. "So, my woman let me go. What about yours?"

The question was so very close to the truth it made him start. How did he know... he couldn't have known. Gojyo was a gambler, and gamblers were notorious for reading people. Relaxing again, he pulled the watch out from under his pillow. "I was just asking for that," he murmured.

A hand closed over his and the watch, fingers long and rough from many fights. "I bet yours was more understanding than mine."

"How did it go with Asai?" He wasn't trying to change the subject, really. If he talked to anyone about Kanan, it was Gojyo. He was sincerely curious how badly the girl's heart was broken.

Gojyo blew a piece of hair roughly from his face. "Man, she cried, she screamed, she said she loved me... I should have listened to you."

"Yes, you should have."

"Gee, try not to sound so smug about it next time, alright? Fucking hell..."

"Gojyo?"

The red-head arched a brow, taking a hit. "Yeah?" he drawled out.

"Do you think it would be bad... if I..." The words stuck in his throat and wouldn't come out.

Sighing, Gojyo thunked his head back against the wall. "It's been what, three, four, years now? By now, people would have been setting you up with their prim and proper daughters. That's the rule of society. However, I think my rules for sex apply to this better than society's."

"What?" Hakkai laughed in shock. How did they go from talking about grief to sex? Only Gojyo...

Grinning, he shrugged. "My rule is simple; if you can't say the words, then you shouldn't be doing it. Goku and I just had a chat the other day about his venture into whoring."

"And?"

"The fucking chimp couldn't even say 'kiss' without turning red!"

Hakkai burst out laughing again, covering his eyes. "Sweet lord, what are we going to do with him?"

"See, if you would have only played nice with the vet..." He knew Gojyo was only teasing him now. But, he did have a point, and it made perfect sense. How could he ask Kanan to let him go when he couldn't even express what he wanted himself? Until he could say out loud that he was ready to love again, he couldn't.

"Is this odd, Gojyo? Me, I mean."

Another sigh escaped from Gojyo before he patted Hakkai's knee. "You're completely fucked in the head, man."

"Gojyo!" Once again, he couldn't help laughing in shock.

Gojyo smiled and shrugged. "Yeah, but you're no worse off than the rest of us. A monkey with abandonment issues. A completely detached, sadistic monk. And a half-breed with a mother complex. See, you're normal when compared to us!"

Hakkai's smile widened a little. Gojyo... was simply just an amazing person. No matter how much the red-head argued the point, he was. "Thanks."

"Psh... to quote a pissy blonde, whatever! It's nothing, 'Kai."

To him, maybe. But to Hakkai, it truly did mean all the world. Clearing his throat, he stretched and slipped the pocket watch back into the drawer. "Speaking of pissy blondes, it's odd that Sanzo isn't back yet."

Gojyo almost choked on his cigarette. "Hey, let him STAY gone for a little longer! If it means he gets his jollies and won't be shooting, I say we bring whoever the wench is along with us!"

"Gojyo, do you think Sanzo's ever... well..."

Teasing crimson eyes slid over to him, a little mischievous smile on his lips. "Who would have pegged you for a perv, 'Kai? Asking questions about our sweet Sanzo's virginity. To answer your question, I'd bet the house he hasn't."

Hakkai sat up, pushing the pillow against the head board, and frowned. "Really? Why is that?"

"For the simple reason sex usually leads to some kind of commitment, and commitments mean complications. Sanzo doesn't like complicated."

He had a very good point. Sanzo would absolutely hate anything that interfered with his life like a relationship would. Trust Gojyo to think outside the habits and look at the person. "I think you're right, Gojyo. Even casual sex has its complications."

"Too many for that pretty blonde head to figure out, that's for damn sure!"

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone tried to grab sweat slicked shoulders, tried to keep her claws from sinking into flesh that was more easily broken. It was a losing battle though and her claws finally sank in, just deep enough to draw a small hiss from his throat. And, to her surprise, Sanzo seemed to like. He stopped ravishing her throat to lean back enough and meet her gaze. The change in those violet eyes... no longer cold but filled with an intensity that nearly took the breath from her. Obvious passion and need... and something else trying to creep in. What was that...

She grabbed a handful of sweat dampened hair, jerking hard enough to get his attention when his eyes threatened to close. "Don't shut me out, not now," she gasped out, lost in the overwhelming amount of emotion in his eyes. Confusion, pleasure, anger and that one that he kept trying to force back. She wanted it, almost as much as she wanted him. The wall was fast crumbling, though, revealing the edge of fear but not what she wanted to see. The rythme changed, growing more urgent until...

Yaone gasped again, digging in hard on his shoulders. Violet eyes widened in shock and the wall dropped completely to reveal... What she saw there was surprising and more than she'd ever expected from him. She doubted he even knew what it was. Slowly letting go of his shoulders, she pushed the hair from Sanzo's face, leaning up to kiss him gently on his forehead before settling back and watching as he rebuilt the wall behind his eyes. Sanzo blinked, breathing hard and looking for all the world like he was completely dazed by the experience. Tiny blood drops stained his shoulders, mixing with the sweat. He either didn't notice or didn't care. Slowly, he moved over so he wasn't lying so heavily on top of her, still keeping close body contact. One arm was tucked under her head, the other draped across her stomach, fingers rubbing lightly against her skin. Their legs were still tangled and, as the sweat began to dry, she noticed the chill in the room.

"It's cold," Sanzo muttered, his breath touching her neck and making her shiver. She smiled when the arm around her waist tightened, pulling her closer. There was still a healthy amount of awe in his otherwise blank eyes. And that other emotion... it made her stomach tight just thinking about it. She wouldn't bring it up, though. Sanzo obviously didn't fully understand it himself, and he certainly didn't want her seeing it either. He worked very hard to keep it from surfacing.

"Easily fixed," she answered, untangling herself. He made a protesting sound and rolled up onto one arm as she slipped between the sheets. "Well, are you going to stay there and freeze or join me?"

Giving her a muted glare, he decided to join her, lying on his side so he could face the door. She turned over onto her side as well, staring into his half-closed eyes. "You won't be here when I wake up, will you?" The thought that this could very well be the last time she saw him for a while made her sick to her stomach. She tucked a few stray pieces of hair behind his ear, drinking in the sight of him after sex. If anything, it stripped away the almost other-worldly aura that seemed to surround him and made him more human looking. More approachable. Not innocent, he could never look that, but he wasn't nearly as guarded.

"No, I won't," he answered sleepily. His lips brushed against her wrist as she cupped his cheek briefly before pulling her hand away.

As much as his answer made her sad, she was at least happy he hadn't lied to her. "Then please, be careful and be safe. I'll try to see you soon."

The only answer she got was him running his hand down her cheek before settling it between them and closing his eyes completely. But, in a way, the tender gesture meant more than any words spoken.

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku stared at the window and tried not to be angry. It was Sanzo's life. He could do whatever he wanted. So why was he angry with him for staying out AGAIN?

Maybe because he was worried about Sanzo. This wasn't like him to be all caught up with some woman. And he knew it was one. Each time he'd come back, there was that faint smell of flowers. Like perfume or something. And it was always the same.

Or maybe it was because Sanzo was acting weird. More like Gojyo than himself. What if he was being drugged or tricked or... whatever? That wasn't good for their mission, right?

Or, maybe, it was because Sanzo had promised not to leave him. And now here was his second night all alone. Sure, he knew Sanzo was coming back in the morning, but he couldn't help feeling like this woman (whoever she was) was taking him away. He didn't like that. He didn't like it at all. Sanzo was all he had. He was the light in the dark for him. Without Sanzo...

He was alone. Not Gojyo, or Hakkai or anyone could fill that space. He didn't understand how a woman could take that. It was mean! He knew he was being really stupid but... but... Sanzo was HIS family! Scowling, Goku glared hard at the grey sky. He hadn't slept at all last night, he was so scared Sanzo wouldn't come back. After all, he hadn't heard anything from his guardian all night! Usually, if he tried really, really hard he could catch Sanzo's thoughts and hear his voice inside his head. But he hadn't heard anything last night, and that had scared him so bad he'd gotten up to go talk to Hakkai. Except, when he'd gotten to the door, he could hear Gojyo and Hakkai talking. They sounded serious... so he'd just gone back to his room and waited. And waited. And waited. Until Sanzo came back, he wasn't going to get any sleep.

The sky was edging toward pink and orange, like ice cream colors. Goku stared at the rising sun... and then sat up when the door softly opened and clicked shut. Just like the sun... Sanzo was pulling his shirts off, kicking his boots aside. He looked really tired... but fine. Sighing, the taller man stretched out on his bed, tucking the covers up under his arm.

"Sanzo?" Goku sat up completely, relieved that his guardian was back and looked fine.

Violet eyes opened a crack. "Gods, you're still up? Did you wait up for me or something?"

"I couldn't sleep." _You weren't here_, he added silently.

"I'm here now, so shut up and get some sleep before we leave. I'm in no mood to fuck around," he muttered in response.

Smiling, happy now that Sanzo was where he should be, Goku curled up again. "Okay."


	21. Chapter 21

Damn it! Only two rooms available. Sanzo gritted his teeth and handed the card over to the smiling girl. He knew it would be too much to hope for four, but not even three? "If a room opens up, inform me immediately."

"Of course, Master Sanzo! Right this way."

So far, the town on the other side of the mountain, Chukagai, was a real dive town. Two seedy looking bars that even made Gojyo's eyebrows go up, a few brothels that looked like dirt-cheap, the inn, four conveniance stores and a restaurant he wouldn't kill a dog in. About the one thing he'd been hoping for was a room to himself... and to see Yaone again, of course. Gods, after that last night... The drive through the mountains was made longer just by thinking about that. Not to mention uncomfortable. Tight jeans were not meant for anyone having erotic thoughts.

The four of them followed the girl up to their rooms. If only he could think of some way to logically share a room with Gojyo. In case Yaone DID show up, the odds of Gojyo not being there were extremely good. The kappa'd been complaining for the last week and a half how he was incredibly horny and needed to get laid. And, especially recently, he now understood that need. Gods, how messed up was that? He was starting to sympathize with the group's pervert!

As luck would have it, the rooming arrangement worked itself out without him interfering. "Goku, why don't you share a room with me? We'll be shopping in the morning, and if we share a room we won't wake anyone else up," Hakkai suggested. Sanzo wished to the gods he could add his support to that without it sounding odd.

"Well... I dunno. I was kinda hopin' to share a room with Sanzo," Goku answered slowly.

"No way in HELL I'm getting up early on a Saturday," Gojyo announced firmly. "Go with Hakkai, stupid monkey!" For added effect, he smacked the kid right in the head. Sanzo felt a momentary urge to smack the kappa back... but then again, that would make him less inclined to share a room. Shit. His hand twitched with the unfulfilled urge.

"Sanzo, aren't you gonna say somethin' about this?" Goku demanded.

"Have a nice night, monkey. I know I will without you talking in your sleep," he replied, turning his back on the others and entering his room. Gojyo usually went out after dinner. He was complaining about how he'd need at least three women to satisfy him, and with Gojyo it was never to be doubted he spoke the truth in regards to his sexual apetites. So, three women usually meant he'd be gone until... four in the morning. If Yaone decided to come over, they would have plenty of time.

"Hey!" Goku glared at his back briefly before following Hakkai and muttering about how he didn't talk in his sleep, and if he did he never heard it.

Sanzo allowed a small, unseen smile to come to his face. So far so good. The only thing now was to tolerate Gojyo getting ready to leave without losing his temper. If he played Piss Off The Pervert, Gojyo wouldn't be in the mood for whoring and would probably come back very early. So... restraint.

He had no idea how he was going to manage that one.

>>>>>>>>>>

Dokugakuji's head was spinning. Blood was all over the ground around him, not all of it his. Dead humans were crumbled on the ground, fires roaring and people screaming as they sought to escape the violence destroying their every day lives. And the cause for this chaos was right in front of him, auburn hair whipped back by the wind-fires. In the light of the flames, Kougaiji looked bathed in blood. The fiend raged on behind him, devouring humans and bursting through buildings left standing.

"People of Shussan," Kougaiji shouted above all the noise. "I know Genjyo Sanzo was here. Tell me where he went and I'll withdraw the fiend!"

"Kou!" Dokugakuji struggled to his feet, clutching the four deep rips in his side. Kougaiji glanced over his shoulder at him, profile dark and cold. "Stop it, Kou! You don't know what you're doing!" He'd been tracking Kougaiji for a while now, and with each passing day the violence kept growing and growing. It was like the prince couldn't get enough of it! It had started off as bullying, doing some minor damage to scare the people. But as soon as he'd learned the Sanzo party wasn't on the western side of the mountain, the anger grew into this. Shussan was the last village to be searched... and the first place since Kougaiji first set off that Dokugakuji had managed to catch up with him.

A fat lot of good it did him, though! His sword was useless here, seeing as the object was to PROTECT their lord, not kill him. Every time he'd tried a more physical assault, he was the one who ended up getting his ass kicked. Kougaiji was strong, he knew, incredibly strong but THIS... this was something else entirely! He didn't seem to feel the blows, just kept coming and coming... It was like pain had been taken out of the equation.

"Kougaiji, listen to me! KOU!"

Kougaiji ignored him, grabbing a girl trying to run away by her long hair, twisting it up tight in his fist as she continued to scream, near hysterical. "One last try, human. Where is Genjyo Sanzo?" She continued to whimper, shaking so badly the only thing keeping her on her feet was his grip in her hair.

"ASAI!" Dokugakuji spun around at the cry, saw a slight man in glasses running toward them with a wooden club in his hand. The only thing that was going to to was give Kougaiji a bad hair day. He was torn between what he should do. Save the man who was obviously her father or try and save the girl? It would have been more noble to save the girl... but if the man attacked Kougaiji, he'd have no choice but to step in for his lord.

"Hold right there, human," Kougaiji ordered, jerking the girl roughly to make her scream. The man skidded to a hault, eyes plastered on the girl. Shit! "This is your offspring, isn't it? Fine. Tell me what I want to know and she lives. Refuse to answer..." He drew a claw slowly down the girl's cheek, making her scream. Thin trickles of blood oozed free, slipping down her neck and turning almost black in color. It was enough to get the point across.

"They heft here almost a week ago," the man answered quickly, pointing a shaking hand toward the mountain. "That way. They're most likely on the other side of the mountain, in Chukagai!"

Kougaiji dropped the girl and began to walk away. Dokugakuji waited only long enough to see the man rush to his daughter before he ran after the prince. Damn it all to hell! "Kou, wait up!"

"As I've said before, I have no use for you. You're getting in my way."

"Listen to me, will you?" He grabbed Kougaiji's arm, intent on MAKING him listen...

And was hit so hard into the dirt he swore his brain exploded through his ears.

"This is the last time I'm telling you. Get in my way again, and I'll kill you."

Dokugakuji managed to pick himself up enough to see Kougaiji turn his back and begin to walk off. Shit, he had to stop him! Blood dripped into his eye, stinging a little as he stumbled upward. Good, he was standing. That was a start. Now, all he needed was a miracle...

"Dokugakuji, cover your mouth!"

What the...? He did as the voice said, not really registering until explosions went off near him that it was Yaone running toward him from the shadows of the forest. Thick black smoke filled the air, burning his eyes. Tear gas? He looked over at Kougaiji and was surprised to see it even effected him, making him cough so badly he was doubled over.

A slim hand grabbed his arm and yanked him upwind from the smoke, lungs burning a little from the gas. "Goddamn... Yaone... when the hell did you... get here?" he choked out as she ran with him back toward the forest.

"I've been searching this area for almost a month,. Where the hell have you been?" she demanded, giving him a quick teasing smile to show she wasn't angry with him.

"All up and down this place, getting my ass handed to me," he answered back, still coughing on the fumes. "Did you find them?"

"Sort of. They were just here about a week ago. I was about to circle back to Chukagai when I saw the smoke."

Dokugakuji sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "Man, how strong was that stuff?"

"Oh, uh... to be honest, I really don't know," she answered with a little laugh, giving him a hand up the steep hill they were climbing. He could hear dragons grumbling to each other, which meant she'd landed around where he did. "I didn't have much time to check measurements considering I made them on the fly. Are your lungs burning badly?"

"Not too bad. I was just surprised they hit Kou that hard. He's pretty much blind to anything else that should hurt like a bitch."

Grinning, she shrugged. "Well, ignoring a cut is one thing. Ignoring a gas burning at your lungs, which are necessary to staying alive, is completely different."

"In any case, he'll recover fast. Kou's probably already halfway there now."

"Um... I doubt that very much." Dokugakuji looked at her, frowning at the deep, embarassed flush in her cheeks. They came around a bend in the trees and three dragons greeted them happily. Wait... three? "See, as I was circling around for a place to land, I spotted Lord Kougaiji's dragon and... I stole it. He'll have to travel the mountain pass on foot, which gives us a little more time than we'd thought."

Dokugakuji stared at what was undeniably Kougaiji's dragon and burst out laughing, hand going to the deep gouges in his side. Laughing had pulled them open again, bringing a new wash of pain with it. "You evil woman! Good work, Yaone. We've got us a little more time than we thought, then. It's still not very much. Knowing Kougaiji, he'll be walking all night and day to get over the mountain as fast as possible. So, let's get out of here and find the Sanzo party!"

>>>>>>>>>>

This had to be the most awful thing his mistress had ever asked of him! Zakuro grimaced as he pulled the final leech off his leg, glaring as he threw the insect into the fire. At best, he hated the outdoors. At worst, he wanted to set all of nature ablaze and sit back to watch it wither. The dragon he flew on mewed at him and he glared at it before smacking it's muzzle hard. "Quiet, you!" The dragon moved off a safe distance before settling down to sleep, giving a doleful glare at his master. Zakuro missed the glare, turning his back on the beast.

Shrugging his jacket back on, Zakuro returned his glare into the fire. He was honored, of course, to be selected for anything his mistress saw fit. But... camping? Traveling rough terrain? FISHING? Now, he wasn't saying he couldn't survive in the wilderness like any other youkai! He was, after all, _Lord_ Zakuro. But if given the choice, he'd have prefered to remain in Houtu Castle. Still, one didn't quibble when Lady Gyokumen Koushu issued orders.

"No matter," he said out loud to himself, smiling maliciously at the dancing flames. "When I return with the Maten Scripture, my mistress will reward me so handsomely I'll have servants doing this work for me! I'll be a hero to the youkai race! For bringing the key to raising our dear lord Gyumaoh, I will be renowned! All everywhere, human and youkai alike, will bow before my greatness!" He let out a peal of laughter that echoed back through the still night air.

The dragon only rolled it's eyes and resettled it's head on the ground. He was used to these dramatic little monologues by now!

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai was talking. Sanzo was barely listening to him, more intent on devouring his cigarette and chugging coffee than anything else. He knew it was stupid to be angry. This wasn't exactly a pleasure trip. She probably had other responsibilities, which would explain why she didn't come last night. Duties like finding _Kougaiji_.

Try as he might, he couldn't keep the mocking edge from that name. He'd always suspected the prince felt a little more for her than what a lord should. She was probably scrounging around trying to find his royal ass and dig him out of whatever the fuck he got himself into this time! He wasn't exactly sure he liked her risking so much for one person. She was his _apothecary_, for the gods' sakes, not his goddamn babysitter! Ever since that first encounter with the healer, when Kougaiji had risked everything to save her from killing herself, he'd thought there was something between them. Either that or Yaone was more important to the youkai than he'd expected. With as high ranking and powerful as Kougaiji was, he was either in love with her or she was a very valuable servant. Why else risk your life for someone else, especially if you were a noble? That wasn't something a normal noble would do.

_Since when has Kougaiji acted the typical noble? Stop being jealous over nothing. She's sleeping with YOU, not him! And answer Hakkai's damn question before he has an aneurism._

"Sanzo, did you hear a word of what I said?" Hakkai demanded, giving him a worried look.

"No," he answered honestly. The map was open, which meant it was either a choice between routes... or about a rest stop.

Hakkai sighed, tapping a spot on the map. "If we leave today, I figure in about two days we'll reach Komiyo. The inn keeper says there's a nice bed and breakfast we can stay at."

"Nice compared to what?" he asked dryly, glancing around the poorly maintained establishment they were currently in and, thankfully, leaving that morning.

Gojyo snickered at the crack, knocking ash into a tray. "Yeah, no shit. And there better be at least half-way decent women there!"

It had been a good thing Yaone hadn't stopped by anyway. Gojyo had gone out at seven and come back around eleven just as Sanzo was getting ready for bed, after a cold shower. That had only done so much to relieve his 'condition'. Gojyo had swept into the room, gone straight to the bathroom and come back about twenty minutes later with a cigarette, complaining about how he'd rather join a temple than step foot in those brothels again. A couple shots fired in his general direction had ended that conversation real quick.

"So, do you want to take that or travel more directly west?" Hakkai persisted, drawing the alternate route with his finger. "If we go this way, we won't reach a town for almost eight days."

Goku choked on his milk, eyes bulging. "Ya mean we'd have to camp for EIGHT DAYS? My stomach can't take that!"

"That's bullshit," Gojyo added, mussing Goku's hair. "Your stomach can take anything, even camp food. However, my sex drive can't tolerate that. Komiyo it is!"

Sanzo's fan whipped out, cracking the kappe right under the jaw and sending him sprawling on the ground. That did wonders for edging off the jealousy. He needed to remember the fan was now good for stress, anger and jealousy. The fan was such an under-appreciated tool. "Can it! As if I give a shit about your degenerate habits. And since when did you decide on the road we're traveling?"

"GODDAMN IT! That fucking hurt, you know!"

"Apparently not enough to get you to shut up. Maybe something more permanent is in order."

"So, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked, raising his voice over the fight that was close to breaking out.

Sanzo stubbed out his cigarette. "We've wasted enough time with that Kami-Sama bullshit. We'll take the more direct route. What's the name of the rest stop?"

"What do you care?" Gojyo muttered, righting his chair. He yelped, covering his head as Sanzo raised the fan threateningly. If that kappa didn't learn to keep his fucking mouth SHUT...

"It's called... Yatsuhashi." Hakkai blinked, looking up in confusion before reading it again. "Yatsuhashi? Doesn't that mean 'cookie'?"

"YES! Can we pleeeeease go now for Cookie?" Goku begged. Sanzo covered his eyes with one hand, groaning inwardly. Damn it, that settled things! If they didn't take the direct route now, Goku would never shut up about it.

Gojyo chuckled and peered at the map with more interest. "There wouldn't happen to be a place called Bouncing Tits, would there?"

"Gojyo!" Hakkai's cheeks turned an amazing shade of red before he hastily folded the map, handing it over to Sanzo to stash in his robe. Sanzo gritted his teeth and tried not to pull his gun. He'd already pulled it twice this morning. A third time and the authorities might be called in.

"Ew! Let's NOT go anywhere named that," Goku exclaimed, wrinkling his nose. They all stood up, Hakkai quickly swallowing back the last of his coffee as Sanzo scooped his pack off the table and tucked it into his sleeve. Thank the gods he still had to pay for breakfast. It would give him a chance to leave a note at the front desk for Yaone, letting her know their next location.

"This from the one who went to a place called the Tenderloin," Gojyo teased. He had a grin on his face that could have qualified as one of paternal pride. Figured the kappa would be all aglow over Goku's run-in with women. Sanzo rolled his eyes and made a mental note that Gojyo and Goku were NOT to share a room any time soon. Gods only knew what kind of shit the cockroach was filling the monkey's head with.

"HEY!"

Hakkai was smiling as the two began to shove their way through to door and to the Jeep. He paused in the door way, looking back at Sanzo. "Are you coming, Sanzo?"

"In a minute. I have to pay still," he answered, keeping his back to the green-eyed man. As soon as the door shut, Sanzo handed his card to the waiting girl. "Do you have a pen and extra paper available?"

"Sure! Why, giving me your address?"

He ignored the pick-up line and wrote out a quick message, giving the location as well as the estimate time of arrival. He paused, then added something to the bottom, his cheeks warming a little as he wrote it. He was really getting soft! Folding it, he handed the note back to the girl. "If a woman stops in looking for me, give this to her."

"No problem. What's her name and what's she look like?"

"Her name's Yaone." _And she's a hell of a lot prettier than you_, he added to himself. See, and Hakkai said he never showed restraint!

The girl tucked it behind the desk and handed him his card back. "Have a safe trip, Master Sanzo!"

"Like that'll happen," he muttered as he trudged out to the Jeep. He lit a cigarette... and came to an abrupt halt when he found his seat occupied by a pouting monkey. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, storming over to his side. The little shit was really pushing it now!

"I'm not sittin' back there with Gojyo," Goku insisted. "He keeps being all gross and nasty! AND he's makin' fun of me for what happened in Shussan!"

Sanzo wasn't the only one to glare back at Gojyo, who was grinning wickedly. "Look, all I asked was what he and this Miya did."

"You truly have no shame," Hakkai replied curtly, slipping Jeep into first gear.

"Hey, he's the one who went out whoring and still can't explain the difference between a blow job and deep throating!"

"SEE! I'm not going back there with HIM!" Goku exclaimed, pointing dramatically back at Gojyo with wide, angry eyes.

Biting down so hard he snapped the filter in half, Sanzo threw the rest of the ruined cigarette away. "Fine, then stay here. You're NOT riding up front!"

"But, Sanzo- OWOWOWOW!"

Sanzo grabbed a good amount of thick brown hair and used it to haul the boy over the seat, spilling him head first into Gojyo's lap.

"Oi! Get the fuck offa me, ya goddamn monkey!" Gojyo hollered, quickly jumping back so that Goku's head wasn't in such a compromising position.

"And here I thought you were used to having men down on you," Sanzo retorted, claiming his place.

"WHAT? Are you calling me GAY?"

"You're the one throwing labels around, not me."

"SAY WHAT?"

Hakkai chuckled and stepped on the gas, saving them all from a further exchange of words. Sanzo pulled out his pack and relit a new cigarette. It was best for everyone involved if he got his nicotine in before the kicking and nudging started in back.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone slipped on her bracelets, waiting as the limiters took effect. Dokugakuji stayed with all three dragons. His chest was wrapped up tightly with bandages, but those claw wounds needed stitching. It was decided she would go into Chukagai again, get the necessary supplies (there was a whole list, really) and inquire about the Sanzo party. She knew people were staring at her in her leather gear and tried very hard to pretend that she didn't notice. Despite what people may think, it did serve a purpose to dress like every man's bondage fantasy!

She very quickly made her rounds, gathering up all the items on the list, and even a few that weren't but would probably be needed. On her way back out of Chukagai, she stopped at the only inn to ask about Sanzo. Setting her bags on the ground, Yaone leaned against the front desk, waiting patiently for someone to come up.

A girl came down fromt he second floor with a bundle of towels needing to be cleaned. She smiled, tossing them into a basket behind the desk. "Hi, what can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you might be able help me," Yaone said with a warm smile. "I'm looking for someone. He and his group might have stopped through here not too long ago."

"Oh, are you talking about Master Genjyo Sanzo and his servants? Yes, they were here about three days ago. Are you Yaone?"

Yaone nodded, stomach clenched. "Did Master Sanzo leave a message for me?"

The girl smiled and produced a neatly folded piece of paper. Yaone opened it and read the contents quickly.

_We're taking a more direct route west. Unless something happens (which, knowing our luck, most likely will) we should be there in eight days. The town we're staying at is Yatsuhashi. No joke, that's the town's name. We'll only be there for two days tops. If you get there after us, check at the desk again._

_P.S. Hope everything's okay on your end._

She smiled, amused to no end with the little post script. Sanzo's way of showing affection, what could she say? Handing the note back, she asked, "Would you mind disposing of this for me?" It wasn't signed or anything, but she wasn't taking any chances now that she and Dokugakuji were reunited.

"Sure! He's really hot, isn't he?" The girl was grinning in a way that said she'd been having dirty thoughts about Master Sanzo.

Yaone just barely managed to keep the coldness from entering her eyes. "I suppose... for the most holy of monks, that is. Of course, it's almost sacreligious to think impurely on one so holy as him, don't you think?" she answered. There, a subtle reminder of his status ought to knock those ideas right out of her head! Of course, more than half of that was complete and utter crap, but the girl didn't need to know that.

The girl sighed, a sad look coming to her face. "Yeah, what a shame! Well, have a nice day, miss."

"Thank you. You do the same." Yaone left the inn and hurried back to where Dokugakuji was waiting with their dragons.

"Well?" he asked as she set the purchases down, digging through until she found the surgical thread. She found a thin needle in her pack and quickly threaded it.

"The girl at the inn remembered them," she answered in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner. "She said they left three days ago for... I think she said Yatsuhashi."

"Yatsuhashi? Doesn't that mean cookie?" Dokugakuji asked before sucking a sharp breath as she began to sew without anything to numb the area.

Bending over to see what she was doing better, she smiled and said, "I believe so, yes." She could just imagine Hakkai saying something to that effect!

"That kid of theirs must be happy as a pig in shit then. Ow!" All conversation stopped as she focused on her task and he focused on trying to block the pain.

As soon as she was done, they mounted their dragons and began to flight to Yatsuhashi, both of them hoping to get there before the Sanzo party. Of course, their reasons for this concern were completely opposite!


	22. Chapter 22

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Actually, it's an apology. SO SORRY FOR THE OVERDUE UPDATE! It's been crazy here... but here ya go!

>>>>>>>>>>  
It didn't need to be spoken out loud, but everyone was a little concerned for Goku. Ever since they descended the mountain (that was the second one in almost a month, Sanzo thought dryly) where Yakumo and the orphans lived, he'd taken to bouts of sitting quietly and staring off at nothing. Oh, he still argued with Gojyo like a mad dog, but there was a definate change in the boy. And it all had to do with watching a youkai snap.

Sanzo shifted in the seat, trying to relieve a cramped leg, but moving ended up pulling on his sore back, which hurt even more. The youkai assassins were hitting every day now, sometimes even twice or three times. The bastards obviously picked up their trail again at Yatsuhashi. Stalling for Kami-Sama had done some good after all if it took them that long to find them. Yatsuhashi had been a disaster. Peaceful town except for the human gang going around raping and murdering women before blaming it on youkai attacks. Lovely. Then a real youkai attack DID come... and the villagers did jack shit about it. Not really surprising, though, considering all those rumors being spread that he was hunting the youkai down and killing them. Hmph, idiots. Why would he do something as stupid as purposely engaging a youkai in a fight?

_Why are you on this mission, then, speaking of stupid things?_

He gritted his teeth hard, tightening his folded arms around his chest. Damn straight this mission was stupid! If it weren't for the fact he had to get his master's sutra back, he'd have said to hell with it. About the ONLY good thing to come out of this was Yaone. And he hadn't seen her since Shussan. That was a very irritating thought.

"Sanzo?" Hakkai asked softly from the driver's seat, interupting that train of thought mercifully. He was sore and tired... he didn't need a hard-on on top of it!

"What?" he bit out, not even cracking an eye open.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, and now that the other two are asleep, I thought this might be the best time."

Shit... Did Hakkai know something? He thought they'd been very careful... "Look, if it's about me going out, I don't want to hear it."

Hakkai laughed softly. "Actually, it was about Goku, but we can discuss that if you prefer."

FUCK! Now he understood that whole 'insert foot here' scenario. Sanzo opened his eyes, glaring over at Hakkai who continued to smile peacefully. "What about Goku?" he demanded, ignoring the polite man's obvious desire to talk about the other subject. It wasn't his business, and besides that, just thinking about her made him equal parts annoyed and aroused. Not good.

"I was thinking... maybe we could stay an extra day or so at the next town, let him recover a bit. Yakumo really threw him for a loop it seems."

Great, just what they needed; another long break! He wanted to tell Hakkai hell, no... but a couple days in one place might be good. It would give Goku a chance to sort out whatever the hell was bothering him, keep Hakkai off his back and fix Gojyo's constant bitching about needing a woman. Oh, and MAYBE give Yaone a chance to catch the hell up with them. This whole monthly visit thing they seemed to be getting into was really starting to piss him off. It wasn't like he wanted to see her every damn day. That would just be irritating and he'd probably end up killing her... or she'd poison him. One of the two. But once every month or so? Completely unacceptable!

The question was, what to do about that? It wasn't exactly like they were a normal couple that could set a time and place whenever they felt like it. They were still technically enemies, still... wait... Sanzo's eyes flew open, suddenly wide awake and feeling sick to his stomach. A normal couple... he'd used the term 'couple' to describe their relationship! That wasn't right. It COULDN'T be right. Them... a couple? That was... it was wrong.

_And why is that so wrong? What else would you call it, fuck buddies? It's more than just fucking and you know it._

Yes, but... a couple? As in, boyfriend and girlfriend? Bullshit! That's what that was. There was no WAY she was his girlfriend!

_Oh? And why is that?_

Because... because that would imply a commitment on his behalf.

_You ARE commited to her, dumb ass. When was the last time you honestly bothered looking around?_

Not for a while... but that wasn't the point! The point was, he didn't like being bound to someone. When you care for someone, they get hurt. And the more hurt they are, the more you die inside. Simple as that.

_But you're bound to Goku. Be honest, the thought of him growing up and leaving you to be on his own doesn't sit well with you, does it?_

Completely different circumstances. He wasn't screwing Goku, despite what others may think. And Goku was sort of fated to be with him. Yaone wasn't. She just... happened. She was unplanned, unwanted...

_And now that you have her, the thought of her leaving you is what's really making you sick._

If he weren't sitting in a moving vehicle, he probably would have fallen over in shock. Shit... they WERE a couple. Acknowledging that fact was like smacking his head into a wall until it became fuzzy pudding. He, Genjyo Sanzo, had a...

_A girlfriend_.

Covering his eyes with one hand, Sanzo muttered, "Damn." He had a girlfriend. What the fuck was wrong with him?

"Sanzo?" Hakkai asked again in the same concerned tones. "Sanzo, you're paler than usual. Are you sick?"

"Just keep driving, Hakkai. I had a bit of an epiphany." Goddamn it... a girlfriend...

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It sucked."

Hakkai only laughed softly and stepped on the gas. And for once, Sanzo didn't argue with him. He needed a hot shower and a bed so he could sort through this little development more clearly.

>>>>>>>>>>

"YES! THANK YOU, MERCIFUL GODDESS! THANK YOU WHATEVER GOD PUT THIS PLACE HERE!** THANK YOU!**"

"CAN IT!" The fan came whistling out of nowhere to crack across Gojyo's head and send him sprawling to the professionally paved streets of Nijuushin. All of them were relieved to finally make it here after almost twelve long days complicated with more youkai attacks than they faced in a month. This day was no different. Four different groups of assassins were now dead in the forest. That was almost fifty youkai in one day, and it wasn't even dinner time. Showers, food and beds were foremost in their minds as they continued to walk down the crowded streets.

"I wanna start with pot stickers and then dumplings, followed by by fried rice," Goku was listing off excitedly.

"And I wanna start with a dark haired beauty, followed by maybe a sassy red head, then a slutty blonde," Gojyo continued, grinning wickedly as Goku made a face and shoved him.

"Why can't you not be gross?" the boy demanded. Sanzo's snarl was barely audible as he balled his hands into angry fists. Hakkai continued to smile and pet Hakuryuu soothingly, sneaking the little white dragon bits of food he kept hidden from Goku.

"It's not that I can't not be gross, I just don't see the point," Gojyo replied.

"Well, I think it's not NOT that you can't not be... wait... okay, I think you're not NOT... aw, shit!"

The kappa snickered, ruffling Goku's hair. "Aw, his poor little monkey brain just exploded!"

Goku scowled and pushed his hand away. "Nasty cockroach!"

"Yep, I'm definately gonna be nasty tonight! Hey, Sanzo, see any whore houses arou- WHOA, SHIT!" Gojyo just barely ducked in time to miss having his head blown clean off.

"Finish that and I'll aim for the head you think with," Sanzo bit out, reloading.

Gojyo, considerably paler than before, very wisely kept his mouth shut. He stumbled when Hakkai nudged him sharply, glaring over his back at icy green eyes that promised him a severe tongue lashing later. Sighing, he flicked his long hair back over his shoulder. Why couldn't anyone take a joke?

"So, are we leaving tomorrow, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked, breaking the near-hostile tension in the air.

"Yes."

Hakkai let out a little sigh, which quickly turned to a smile as Hakuryuu chirped worriedly. He'd been hoping to give Sanzo another chance to reconsider that decision. Goku DID seem to be doing a little better, but there were a few times when he'd caught that smile slipping and something much darker and older creeping in. Goku growing up was a scary thing, and he didn't think Sanzo was completely aware it was happening. Or maybe he did and wasn't as concerned about it? Sanzo very rarely missed things like that, especially where Goku was concerned. Unfortunately thought, it appeared he'd be the one stepping in. Again. First the sex talk and now the death one...

"First thing?" If they left early, he'd need to get supplies tonight. Which meant no shower or bed until much later. However, it also meant he wouldn't have to cook...

"Yes. We've been slacking off too much recently. We need to make up a lot of ground."

"Aw, shit," Gojyo muttered before he started scanning the crowds. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was already scoping out which women he'd try to seduce.

Hakkai pulled the small (and very beaten) note pad from his sash and began making a list of things they'd need, things they wanted and things they'd REALLY want but possibly couldn't get. Oh, and he'd have to restock the first aid kit, try to get SOME laundry done... and try to find time to talk to Goku.

Sanzo quite literally walked into the first inn they came across and began negotiating rooms for them with the girl. In the end, they had one room with four beds and use of the public shower. Sanzo was not at ALL happy about the arrangements, but he didn't argue more. All of them were too tired to really care much anyway.

Once in the room, Goku chucked his bag at one bed before running and flopping on what was clearly Sanzo's. The monk gave him a narrow-eyed glare before shrugging his robes down around his waist and setting about the only thing he really did; make coffee. Hakkai didn't mind in the least. He and Sanzo both liked exceptionally strong coffee, so it was a good thing when one of them made it. Gojyo hated it, but he compensated with extra sugar and cream.

"Hakkai, can we PLEASE get apples?" Goku begged, sitting up fully on Sanzo's bed. He caught the bag the monk threw at his head without even really looking and looped the strap over the post at the foot. The way they did it looked almost routine, and judging from the many times it had been done, it was.

"Certainly," Hakkai answered, adding it to his list. He didn't mind getting something healthy for Goku.

"And how 'bout caramel for dippin' them in?"

"But apples are good on their own, Goku. And caramel's messy. It's not easy cleaning Hakuryuu off if the substance is sticky." Hakuryuu added his agreement to that.

"Oh... then never mind."

Hakkai left the apples on anyway. Goku would eat them regardless, he was sure of it. Gojyo was already pulling out the clothing he would wear out, inspecting the black silk shirt carefully for any snags. "Gojyo, any requests?"

"Yeah, a new lighter... shampoo... oh, and baby oil."

Everyone looked up at that. Baby oil?

Gojyo flashed a grin and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Trust me, it's for a good cause."

Sanzo snarled and turned back to the coffee. "Get that with your own money, asshole."

Hakkai did NOT add that to the list, and he knew his cheeks were burning up. Gojyo just loooved to make him blush!

"What's the baby oil for?" Goku asked, eyes all wide and innocent.

Grin widening to the point of being evil, Gojyo went over to the table and picked up Sanzo's lighter. "Baby oil's lotsa fun. You take the shower curtain down and- OW!"

Somehow, a spoon from across the room went sailing through the air to hit with unerring aim right in the middle of the kappa's forehead. "Oops. It slipped," Sanzo said dryly before pouring himself a cup of coffee and going over to the table. He snatched his lighter from Gojyo as the red head was about to light up and took a seat, opening his own cigarettes.

"Goddamn prick! Learn to share."

"I share breathing space with you, what more do you want?"

Gojyo growled in frustration and stormed the short distance over to his bed.

Hakkai, ignoring all of this, double checked his list to be sure everything was there and stood up. "Well, better get this done before the morning. Gojyo, Goku, help me carry the groceries." There was no 'please' or 'would you mind' in there. It was an order.

"Okay," Goku said cheerfully enough. He knew helping Hakkai shop meant food as a reward, and that was something he REALLY wanted right then!

The three of them prepared to go, Gojyo not looking at all pleased about it but knowing better than to argue over Hakkai when he used that particular tone.

"Hey."

They stopped, Hakkai's hand still poised on the door, as Sanzo called back to them, flicking the newspaper open. "Did you need something, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked pleasantly.

"I'm out of cigarettes. Get me some."

Gojyo's glare got even hotter as he stared at the back of the blonde's head. "Excuse me, Lord Sanzo, but why can't his majesty ever carry groceries?"

The look Sanzo turned on him was nothing but cold arrogance. "And why the hell would I do that?" he asked.

Hakkai hung his head, ready for another argument. At this rate, he wouldn't get a shower until three in the morning!

"Hakkai! Don't you DARE get his fucking cigarettes!"

"Gojyo..."

"Nothing good'll come of you spoiling his holy ass," Gojyo insisted stubbornly.

The smile was friendly enough, but all of them knew Hakkai's most evil face was his happy one. "Gojyo, Sanzo has responsibilities of his own."

Three sets of eyes were watching him, all of them confused. "Uh... like what?" Goku asked, glancing quickly to make sure a fan wasn't coming for his head at that comment. It wasn't. Sanzo was just as interested in what his 'responsibilities' were as the rest fo them.

"Well, someone needs to stay here and watch the house. Like a good wife usually does."

Gojyo cracked up, clutching his sides as his face went red from lack of oxygen. "Good... wife... AHAHAHA!"

Goku ran for the door, knowing bullets would be coming soon if he didn't. "Bye, Sanzo!"

"We'll be back later," Hakkai added.

"Yeah... be a good wife and watch the place," Gojyo shouted after the door was shut completely.

"DROP DEAD!" was shouted back and something shattered against the door. Hakkai was still chuckling even as he worried that the shattering meant the only other coffee cup was now broken.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone rubbed her wrist where the limiters jangled, trying to break the constant stinging on her wrist. Dokugakuji was camped out in the forest with the dragons and she was making the trip into Nijuushin for some supplies as well as the status of the Sanzo party. She checked the list again before adding pennyroyal and blue cohosh to the list of herbs she needed. After spending that one night with Sanzo, she'd started back on the natural contraceptive tea. It tasted horrible, but she'd found adding honey to it made it more bearable. Doku had no idea what it was and he never asked, only gave her a slightly odd look as she chugged it back and fought not to gag. Honey was a little expensive, though, and not designed for traveling. Maybe if she mixed mint with it...

But she was getting ahead of things here. First, she needed to search for Sanzo. The last note he'd left for her was almost two weeks old. It had said they'd be stopping at Nijuushin very briefly, so chances were more than likely the group had already left. She and Dokugakuji had made up quite a bit of time and were now only a day or so away from them, she figured. That was excellent considering Kougaiji had made up an amazing amount of time and was right on their heels. They'd just left Yatsuhashi when Dokugakuji had noticed thick, billowing clouds of smoke wafting up from the village. They'd circled back in time to see Kougaiji recalling the fiend he'd let loose, but there was nothing they could do for the people below. How their lord had managed to recover so much ground so quickly was unfathomable.

Sighing, she stopped to look at the little tour map she'd picked up off the ground. Nijuushin was a very large, very wealthy town, sitting right at the intersection of four main road ways. Travelers coming in any direction were automatically dropped here. Of course, this also meant bad news for her. The map showed four large hotels for the upper class, at least twelve inns and a whole network of bed and breakfast places. The B&B's were out. Sanzo would never allow it, especially if there were better establishments available. So, that left nearly sixteen places to check. Great. Checking her position before folding the map and storing it away in her vest, Yaone crossed the busy street to start her search. She could start up this one side and work her way back...

Her train of thought broke when something caught her eye. Something golden that caught the sun's light. Only one person she knew had hair that particular shade of blonde. Smiling, pleased her search hadn't taken as long as she though, Yaone wove her way through the people, trying to catch up. Silk ivory robes, a sutra... that was definately Sanzo! She had to fight a bit to break free of the group of mothers waving their children around in each other's faces before she finally managed to get close enough.

"Hey, long time no-," A cold sweat broke out over the back of her neck as she slowly released her grip on the sleeve. People around them screamed and started running for cover. Yaone stayed very, very still as the ice cold barrel of the banishing gun was leveled right between her eyes. Oh, God...

"What do you want?"

The tone was so cold and impersonal... what was going on? Swallowing quickly, Yaone made sure to keep her hands where he could see them. If he thought she was reaching for something, she was dead. But what the hell was going on? Why was Sanzo aiming a gun at her? Maybe she'd startled him... but the gun wasn't lowering and that didn't explain the harsh question. Or the lethal glint to his violet eyes. "I-I was just... I mean, I saw you... Sanzo?" Maybe he was under a spell. No, his companions wouldn't have let him out. Unless he killed them... Yaone left those thoughts unfinished. She needed to keep a clear head. Panicking now would only result in her dying.

Thin lips twisted into a disgusted sneer before the gun was jerked roughly away and he turned in a flash of ivory silk. "I have nothing to say to a youkai."

Yaone stopped breathing. Literally. She knew he hated youkai. His master had been killed by one. But that was... he'd directed that at HER! She slumped to her knees, the adrenaline wash no longer holding her up. Sanzo... People were staring at her, some suspiciously others in concern. The same mothers she'd forced her way through were coming over to help her up. All she could do was stare after that blonde head as he finally disappeared into the crowds.

"What an idiot! You're not even a youkai," one of the women was muttering.

She wasn't listening to them, wasn't even really aware they were sitting her on a bench nearby while someone ran to get some tea. Sanzo... She knew this day would come. Ever since their relationship became more personal, she'd always known it wouldn't last. They were on opposite sides, after all. But... why now? What brought it on? His words were a slap to the face. Hell, she would have prefered him slapping her instead of saying something that horrible! Sanzo hated youkai. She couldn't blame him for that, he had very good reasons to. She'd just thought...

She'd just thought that maybe he'd seen beyond that with her. That he'd seen her as a person, not a race. Clearly, she'd been mistaken. That realization cut her deeply. The one person she'd been clinging to in this recent whirlwind disaster of fate... and he was gone. The first tears splashed against her hands, and Yaone did nothing to stop them.

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo snapped his paper back into place irritably, giving one final glare at the door. He should have seen it coming. Hakkai smiling... damned bastard! At least they weren't in the room any longer. The list Hakkai made was pretty long, and he'd have to feed Goku while he was out. That at least gave him a few hours alone... or with company. While they'd been unloading, he'd left a note at the desk telling Yaone to send someone up for him if she was there. At this point, he wasn't even interested in sex with her. They needed to talk, set some new rules to go along with their new relationship.

He reached for his pack of cigarettes, realizing as he was about to open them that they were empty. Damn it! His eyes fell to the table where the stupid kappa had left his. Light smokes...ugh! But... beggers couldn't be choosers. Sanzo slid out one of the cheap cigarettes and lit up. Served the bastard right, calling him a 'good wife'. The nicotine helped a little, but since it wasn't exactly a good brand it only did so much to relieve the headache. Now, about Yaone. How did he go about...

The coffee cup exploded near his hand, splashing hot liquid and glass shards everywhere. Sanzo stared at it, startled, before turning his gaze to the window. A bullet hole... **SHIT!**

He dove for cover as more bullets came whizzing in, pulling the table over for added defense. A gun? When the fuck did the youkai start carrying guns? He waited, his own gun out, until the bullets stopped. Four... no, five shots. The gun was either a five or six. Shooting through the window meant the assassin was either right outside or somewhere across the street. There was a restaurant there, one with a clear view of their room. Sweating lightly, heart speeding up as adrenaline crashed through him, Sanzo whirled as the door creak open, keeping low behind the bed.

"Is everything okay? I heard some noise-" The girl from the front desk stared around the room in horror.

"GET DOWN!" Sanzo dove over the side of the bed, tackling the girl around the waist just as more bullets found their way into the wall. She screamed, nails digging into the skin of his shoulder as they landed in the hall. He twisted around, gun aimed as the assassin stepped through the broken window. The sun was at the assassin's back, but even the shadows couldn't hide who it was fully. His eyes widened and he very nearly dropped his gun. What the... hell!

>>>>>>>>>>

"Teacher, the hungry kid's left the group!"

Hakkai turned at the sarcastic remark, following the direction of Gojyo's thumb. Goku had his head practically shoved into a popcorn cart. Sighing, he went over to join the boy. Admittedly, the popcorn smelled fantastic. And none of them had really eaten anything since yesterday evening. Smiling, Hakkai shrugged around the bags in his arms. "I guess it can't be helped."

"You know," Gojyo drawled, slinging his free arm around Hakkai's shoulders. "Sanzo's probably just sipping tea like an old man. I sure as hell wouldn't mind getting back a little late."

He knew exactly what the red head was talking about. It wasn't practical, though. They were leaving early tomorrow and he still needed to do laundrym shower, sort out the supplies... "I don't know, Gojyo."

Gojyo rolled his eyes and tilted his head in Goku's direction. The boy was literally panting, eyes watching intently as the vendor scooped a load of popcorn into a container and passed it off the a paying customer. "It's embarassing as hell walkin' around with Goku in this condition. And besides... isn't Sanzo the one sitting on his ass back at the room? Maybe if he realizes you aren't there to press his pretty robes, he'll do something about it himself."

"Highly unlikely," Hakkai laughed. Sanzo doing ANYTHING domestic was an amusing thought! Cleaning, laundry, cooking... especially cooking. None of those things were Sanzo Duties. And it could be a little trying at times, especially when there was just so much that needed to be done so quickly. Glancing over at the sun beginning to set, he finally hung his head, a little smile touching his lips. "Alright, but you're helping me with laundry when you get back."

Grinning, Gojyo pulled his arm away. "Good deal. I probably won't be back until three-ish. Is that cool?"

"I'll be up, I'm sure of it. Goku! We're going out to dinner."

"Can't I just have ONE bag of popcorn?" Goku begged, giving Hakkai the biggest, saddest puppy dog eyes he could manage through his hunger.

Damn it... he hated when Goku looked like that! Hakkai sighed and handed the card over. "Everytime... I swear!"

"Hey, mister," Goku called excitedly. "Can we have three bags of- HEY!"

A chain rattling and brick bits flying alerted them to what had startled Goku. Gojyo's cigarette almost fell from his mouth as he looked at the crescent blade wedged into the wall of the building. "Uh... Hakkai?"

Hakkai was already facing their attackers. He let out a startled laugh followed closely by an impressed, "Wow!"

"YOU IDIOT KAPPA! YA ALMOST KILLED ME," Goku hollered.

"YOU ARE JUST SO FUCKING DENSE," Gojyo hollered back.

"Um, guys?" Hakkai called over the noise.

The two arguing followed his gaze across the street... to three very familiar shapes.

"Oh. Guess that makes sense," Gojyo said numbly as he met matching crimson eyes.

Across from them was a Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku, completely identical in every way. Right down to the nyoi-bo, shakujo and chi that was being formed even as they gaped. As Hakkai prepared himself to defend against... himself... he realized there probably wouldn't be any laundry done tonight. Wonderful!

>>>>>>>>>>

Zakuro kicked the dragon angrily, jumping back as the creature snapped deadly jaws in his direction. Out of all the dragons in all the stalls... the stable master HAD to give him the pregnant one! Six eggs were protected between claws and tail, red eyes following his every move as he paced back and forth. He was tired, he was dirty, he was hungry... and now he had to WALK! The broody dragon had eaten all the food last night while he'd been trying to sleep on the hard ground. He'd been in such a rush to leave Houtu Castle that he'd forgotten to pack a blanket. He would suffer a lot if his mistress commanded it, but THIS... The next mission, he would delegate it to someone else. If they failed, no harm was done to him. If they succeeded, all the glory would be his.

Giving one last glare at the humming dragon (who was licking her eggs lovingly), he snarled, "When I come back this way, mark my words I'll stop long enough to skin your little hatchlings clean! It's a good thing you're just a stupid dragon and can't tell anyone about this indignity I've suffered!" He stalked away, kicking at the dirt and grass every once in a while. When he found the Sanzo party, he would take his time killing them. His mistress would like that. She would probably reward him even MORE handsomely for it. Maybe if he brought her back a souvenir... he chuckled when he imagined the delight on her face.

The dragon glared at his back before shaking her head and returning to her eggs with a contented sigh. She'd be sure to tell all her girl friends back home about forcing That One to walk!


	23. Chapter 23

"Yaone? What happened?" Dokugakuji stood up quickly as Yaone came stomping back over, gaze downturned and clearly very upset. Her eyes were still a little red from obvious tears and he hadn't seen a scowl that fierce in a while. He grabbed her arm as she began to walk passed him to the dragons, stopping her in her tracks. "Wanna talk?"

"Not particularly, Dokugakuji," she bit out.

He let her go, still watching her as she began packing her bags up. If she wanted to talk, she'd do it in her own time and manner. And, besides that, he didn't want to get in the way of an angry woman. that was just asking for trouble. He frowned as he looked around their meager camp and then again at her empty arms. Didn't she... "Hey, where are the supplies?"

"Shit! I forgot them." She groaned, slumping down along her dragon's side and ignoring the wedge shaped head that circled around to her expecting to get itched.

"Okay... but did you find the Sanzo party?"

At the mention of them, the scowl got even darker. "You could say that. Or you could say I just had a gun shoved in my face."

"What!" Doku exclaimed. Damn, he knew they were enemies, but Sanzo usually gave them a chance to talk before pulling the piece out! But weren't Yaone and the monk... any ideas that those two were sleeping together went out the window. Even angry, he doubted Sanzo would pull the gun on someone he was seeing romantically. Figured Zakuro didn't know shit about what he saw! Yaone was probably thinking about the mission when that bastard got a hold of her and that's why he saw violet eyes. Yes, that was about the only reason it made sense...

Yaone closed her eyes, hugging herself. She was fighting the tears back, he could tell from where he stood. "Can we just not talk about it? I forgot the supplies, I don't know where they're going and I just need a few minutes to collect myself, alright?"

Dokugakuji nodded briefly. "Yeah, I understand. I'll just go see what I can find for food." He grabbed the make-shift fishing rod he'd made two days ago and went down the river a good way. He wanted lots of space between himself and her at that moment. As much as he cared about her and was worried she was hurt, when Yaone said to leave her alone, it was always best to do just that.

>>>>>>>>>>

To say Sanzo was irritated was an understatement. He was bordering closer to homicidal the more they talked to the bartender. Thankfully, Gojyo and Goku were staying fairly quiet and out of the way as Hakkai continued to press the man.

"So... there's no way we can get across?" he asked for the third time. Unbelievable! There had to be a way across somehow. Yes, the river was extremely wide, but it had to narrow down at some point, have a ferry in the next village over. The youkai couldn't control the _whole thing_!

"Not since those youkai took up residency in the river," the man answered grimly, drying off another glass and stacking it to one side.

"I see." This wasn't exactly uplifting news. The doppelgangers, more random attacks, Jeep going missing mysteriously one evening... it seemed luck wasn't exactly their friend right now. He sympathized completely with Sanzo's irritation.

"You can circle 'round to the mountains and take the suspension bridge there," the bartender offered, shrugging,

"Cool! Let's do that," Goku exclaimed, oblivious to the dark glare Sanzo shot at him.

"You'll have to cross five mountains to get there. Should take about... two months."

"TWO MONTHS? Fuck that," Gojyo exclaimed before cramming his cigarette roughly into the ask tray.

Hakkai sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. That surely wasn't the only option. Personally, he'd rather not have to cross another mountain for a long time. The last two weren't exactly the most pleasant of experiences and he was certain these five weren't either. "I suppose that's what the boy meant about not being able to cross," he remarked.

"Oh... you've met Kon?" the bartended inquired with a concerned look. "Poor kid. He came over just before we stopped sending out boats on an errand for his mother. Got stuck over here while his family's over there. It's tough on someone his age, but we all try to make him feel at home."

Oh...dear! That explained the bitternes from earlier. It truly was a heartbreaking story, ohe he related to very well. Perhaps if they had some time... The scraping of Goku's chair drew everyone's attention to him as the boy stood up and began to walk awy from the group. "Goku?" Sanzo called, flicking ash away.

Goku paused in the door, turning back with a sad little smile. Hakkai and Gojyo both started a little at such an oddly mature look on the boy's face. "Gonna go talk to Kon. Is that okay, Sanzo?"

Sanzo blew a stream of smoke out, still staring at the boy thoughtfully. "Do what you want."

Smile brightening, Goku ran off down the street back to the river.

The bartender shook his head, giving a lopsided smile. "Nice kid there. Has a good father, you can tell."

The gun shot as Gojyo cracked up was almost deafening and made the bartender drop the glass he was drying as he dove for the floor. Hakkai stepped a little further away from the laughing kappa. He didn't want to get caught in the crossfire, after all!

>>>>>>>>>>

Zakuro smiled slowly as the water youkai started pawing at the mountain of gold. Little did they know it didn't really exist. He'd come to the river through a dessimated human village and been stopped as he was about to try and cross the water. He'd almost drowned before they realized it was one of their own. So... he'd worked an illusion over them and now they were all sitting on the ground with them putting on imaginary strands of pearls.

"An' whadda we gotta do for all this?" one asked, balancing a 'golden tiara' on his head.

"There are four men traveling this direction. One of them is a sanzo priest, two are youkai fighting for humans," several sneered in contempt at that, "and the fourth is a half-breed kappa. Kill them all and bring their bodies to me untouched, just as they were when you killed them. Especially the sanzo priest."

"That's it?" another called from in back, laughing as he shoved a smaller youkai away from his 'treasure'.

Zakuro's smile grew a tad wider. "That's it. Do that for me, and I promise you this and more. Fail... and you won't live long enough to face me because they'll kill you."

"Haha... let 'em try! We haven't had a good fight in a long time, have we, boys?"

Standing up, Zakuro made a motion with his hand that was supposed to look magical and the 'treasure' vanished. "Just see to it they come exactly as they die to me. I'll be wait upstream about two miles." He turned and left, flicking his long coat out behind him.

"Uh... Lord Zakuro? That's downstream. You wanna go that way!"

Gritting his teeth, Zakuro turned sharply on his heel and went in the proper direction. "I was merely testing your skills of observation," he commented tightly.

Only a couple dared to snicker behind his back, but he continued on without commenting on this. They weren't really worth the effort to kill himself anyway!

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone tried to keep her breathing even and quiet, back pressed up to the tree. Three round explosives were held between her fingers, ready to be flung at a moment's notice. Sweat trickled down her skin, a combination of the heat and the adrenaline. Branches snapped and crackled, broken by someone shoving through the forest on the other side of the bank noisily. She and Dokugakuji had been hoping that the water youkai would put in an appearance and slow him down. Obviously, they hadn't. She didn't blame them really. Kougaiji was putting off a very deadly aura right now, one that would have made even her think twice if it weren't so important to stop him.

She froze, breath catching as Kougaiji came into view, peering around the little clearing warily, eyes narrowed and hands balled loosely at his sides. A slight breeze kicked in, blowing his auburn hair around him. She didn't dare so much as twitch a muscle. If she did, he'd sense it. He needed to come just a couple steps forward for the plan to work...

"Kou! Hey, Kougaiji!" Yaone's heart skipped at Dokugakuji's shout from her other side.

"Get out of my way, servant," Kougaiji snarled back.

"Not until we have a talk," Dokugakuji persisted.

"Unless you have the Maten Sutra or know where Genjyo Sanzo is, then we have nothing to discuss. Get out of my way or die!"

_Please, please, PLEASE don't do anything stupid, Doku!_ she thought earnestly.

"Kougaiji, what did that bastard do to you? This isn't like you, not even close! Are you listening to me, Kou? I said- ugh!"

Yaone spun around out from behind her hiding spot as Kougaiji went speeding forward, fire circling the fist aiming for Dokugakuji's chest. She flung the explosives before diving around behind a tree again. The bombs went off with a sharp hiss, releasing the sleeping powder inside to fill the air. Covering her mouth, she peered around the tree trunk, heart hammering all the way into her throat at the grunting and sounds of flesh hitting flesh. There was a heavy thud of someone slamming into the forest floor and not getting up. Oh, God... Yaone tensed up as a dark shape pushed out of the mist. "D-Doku...?"

She gasped when Kougaiji wrapped a clawed hand around her throat, slamming her up into a tree. An alien look was in his eyes. This wasn't the gentle man she knew. This here was a killer, cold and simple. That look said more clearly than if he'd said it outloud that her death wouldn't mean anything to him right then. It... it hurt as much as Sanzo's words. Her eyes widened as that hand tightened, claws sinking into her throat to draw blood. She had a sudden realization that she was about to die, and it would be Kougaiji killing her. A coldness settled into her stomach, freezing her from the inside out and keeping her from fighting back. What was the point anyway? Kougaiji was unbelievably stronger than she was. Yaone closed her eyes, unwilling to have that mask of a face be the last thing she saw.

Just as suddenly as he'd slammed her into the tree, he dropped her, choking and gasping for breath onto the ground, before running off with amazing speed through the forest, weaving in and around the trees with no difficulty. Whatever had stopped him was a little upriver from them, and she was a little grateful for it. Head fuzzy from the sleeping powder starting to kick in as well as having been choked, Yaone covered her mouth again and ran into the smoke to drag Dokugakuji's limp form out of it. She knew there was no way she could escape the effects of the powder, but she could lesson the amount some by not physically being in it. She grabbed one of his arms, having to use both hands, and began to pull him into the cleaner air. Dokugakuji wasn't exactly a light person and by the time she'd finished dragging him out of the smoke, she'd worn out what strength she had left and collapsed on the ground to let the sleeping powder finally sink in.

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku spluttered, struggling to the surface of the water. The youkai weren't going after him now, they were focusing on the other three drifting away in the boat. Hakkai shouted something back to him, but he couldn't hear what it was, the water was lapping over his ears. His nyoi-bo was jammed into the rock embankment and Kon clung to his waist tightly, choking as the water surged up and over them, trying to suck them down again. If they didn't get out soon, they were gonna drown! Goku managed to use one hand to pull Kon up so the boy was hugging his neck and shoulders, legs wrapped around his waist now.

"Just hold on, Kon," he called over the water, choking when some washed into his open mouth. "We're gonna get outta this, okay?"

Kon didn't answer but he held on tighter than ever. Goku adjusted his grip, twisting about as best he could to see where the boat had floated to. He couldn't see it. What... where was the boat? Where was Sanzo? No... If the boat wasn't there then Sanzo...

"Sanzo? SANZO? SANZO, CAN YA HEAR ME? SAAAN-"

Water exploded everywhere, shooting straight up into the air as if someone just did a really terrific cannon ball. The shock wave of it sent more waves crashing over them and Kon almost slipped off completely as the water tugged at him hard. Goku grabbed his wrist and hung on tightly, struggling to keep himself anchored against the sudden backwashing of the current. As the water began to settle, he fished Kon back to his shoulders before looking back. That had to be the sutra. It just HAD to be! And if the sutra was in use, then Sanzo was alive. So... where the hell were they?

Goku shook his wet hair out of his eyes, waiting as Kon continued to cough on his back. "Gojyo? Hakkai? Sanzo? SANZO?" He couldn't be dead... no, he wasn't. He didn't know how he knew Sanzo wasn't dead, but he did. And that certainty calmed him down a lot. Sanzo wasn't dead. Good. He didn't know what he would've done if Sanzo were dead! Gritting his teeth, he reached up as high as he could overhead for a niche in the rock, arm straining to pull himself up. "Hang on, Kon. We've gotta get to the top!"

Kon continued to shudder as Goku stepped cautiously onto his nyoi-bo and reached up with his other hand, boots scrambling against the slick rock surface as he pulled them slowly closer to the ledge. First, get to the top. Then, get Kon home. THEN, find Sanzo and the others. Goku kept repeating his little list in his head, turning it into a sort-of chant with each muscle-straining tug upward. It made the task a little easier and before he knew it they were at the top and collapsing back against the grass. Kon sat on his knees beside him, breathing hard and still a little wide eyed.

Goku forced himself to smile cheerfully and nudged the kid. "Hey, we did it! So, how far from here to your place?"

"Not...far," Kon panted, eyes lighting up at the idea of being home. They instantly turned worried again as he glanced back at the river. "Are they gonna be okay?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean those guys? Yeah, probably. It'll take more than those losers ta kill 'em! Hey, can I wait at your place until they come back? That way Sanzo knows where ta look?"

Kon grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! My mom and sister would like that, big brother!"

Goku's grin widened as they stood up slowly, his boots squeaking and squishing as they walked on. Big brother... he kinda liked that!

>>>>>>>>>>

"You're too fucking close! Move over!"

"Eat me, monk!"

"Don't make me sick!"

"YOU'RE the asshole who had to blow half the goddamn river up! Thanks to you, we're so fucking far down stream we might as well have crossed the mountains!"

"Just drown already!" Sanzo kicked Gojyo as hard as he could under the water. Maybe he'd get lucky and the kappa would dislodge himself from the tree and do just what he said.

"Fuck you," Gojyo snarled back, placing a well aimed kick right to his shins. That did it... As childish as it was, a kicking battle started between them, neither one back down. Why couldn't the bastard just shut up and die? Gojyo managed to get one in that was a little too close to his groin for comfort, but in the process, the kappa almost lost his hold, scrambling quickly to regain it. Damn it all to hell, he was THAT CLOSE!

Hakkai's calm voice broke through the fight, but it did nothing to stop them. "Now, now, can you two PLEASE try and stop bickering for a change?" he implored.

"Not until this cocksucking, mutherfucking, high-and-mighty, arrogant-,"

"Hey... what the hell happened to you guys?"

Sanzo craned his neck around, shaking the wet hair from his eyes at the familiar deep voice. Great... where Dokugakuji was, Kougaiji probably was, too. Just what they needed. His eyes fell on Yaone standing on the bank next to the swordsman and, even wet and pissed beyond reasoning, he couldn't deny he was a little glad to see her. But, that quickly turned to confusion at the almost cold glare she threw back at him. That was a little more than acting the part of enemies. There was no way she was that good an actress.

"Oh, um... hello," Hakkai called up pleasantly, twisting around awkwardly to make eye contact. "It's a little complicated to explain right now... As you can see, we're a little preoccupied."

"Sorry for seeming rude," Yaone replied, turning her attention to the green-eyed man. Sanzo scowled at the slightly kinder look she gave to Hakkai. What the hell? "But you haven't seen Lord Kougaiji anywhere recently, have you?"

Hakkai glanced around at their current situation, readjusting his grip on the small rock. "Um, well... not exactly. We've been a little preoccupied, you see."

"Aw, does his higness need to be rescued again?" Gojyo mocked. Sanzo kicked him sharply to get him to shut up. If they expected to get out of this, they needed to play nice for now. "Son of a bitch... I am SO gonna kick your ass if you do that again!"

"Don't make empty threats, asshole," he snapped back.

"I see," Yaone continued, ignoring them. "Please, excuse us!"

Gojyo's eyes widened and Sanzo whirled back around, quickly scrambling for a better hold on the tree as the rapid movement almost threw him back into the strong current. What the FUCK! They were just going to LEAVE THEM? When he got out of this mess, he was going to let her have a massive dose of it! How could she just leave him like that?

"Oi! OI! HEY, ASSHOLE, MIND GIVING US A HAND?" Gojyo shouted angrily at his half-brother. He waited, as if expecting an answer, for a few minutes before growling in frustration. "Goddamn it... was it just me or was that really rude?"

"It wasn't exactly the most polite thing... oh! Thank you," Hakkai quickly grabbed the rope flung over the side, feet slipping as he tried to help haul himself up over the ledge. Dokugakuji wound the rope back in, judging his next throw by the current. He threw it a little upriver so the water carried it toward them. Sanzo looped the rough hemp around his wrist, glaring back as Gojyo grabbed his waist. "Let go, bastard!"

"Like hell," Gojyo growled. "Knowing you pricks, you'd leave me out there."

"That was the point of 'letting go'!"

"Ha h- OW!" Both of them winced as they were slammed into the rock wall.

"Oops... sorry," Hakkai called down as he helped Dokugakuji pull them up and over. Yaone quickly unfolded a blanket and draped it over Gojyo before dropping the blanket for Sanzo right in front of him, meeting his confused look with an icy glare. Sanzo unfolded the blanket, once again wondering what the hell was going on with her. When he had the chance, he was going to find out, that was for damn sure!

Dokugakuji shook his head, smirking at their condition. "Man, do you guys have rotten good luck! How the hell were you going to get outta that one anyway?"

"Go to hell, we would've figured it out... eventually," Gojyo retorted, the last part nothing more than a mumble.

"Yeah, suuure." Dokugakuji chuckled as he began wandering around to gather wood. "And while you think of a way to bullshit your way outta that one, I'll get a fire going for you suckers."

"And you should probably take your clothes off as well," Yaone suggested, setting up three small tin cups with sake.

Gojyo's smile widened at that as he raised the little cup in her direction. "Thought you'd never ask!"

She blushed and smiled quickly before walking away.

Gojyo was dead. He was going to put a bullet right in the pervert's lungs and watch him drown in his own blood. Sanzo seethed silently as he downed his shot, and seething turned to almost boiling rage when Gojyo made quite a show of taking his shirt off, causing Yaone to look back and blush even more. Goddamn bastard... shooting him was more than he deserved. Maybe he could borrow the Jeep for an afternoon, strap Gojyo to the back and take it for a spin...

"That's a brilliant idea, Gojyo," Hakkai commented as Gojyo arranged his shaku-jo up as a clothing line. The two of them already had their shirts off and were arranging them out to dry. Sanzo removed the sutra, looking around for somewhere to place it where it wouldn't get damaged. He was actually amazed the thing didn't disintegrate in the river. He reached out for the blanket Hakkai had discarded, intent on stretching it out on that...

When it was snatched out from his hands. This time, he glared right back at Yaone as she flicked the blanket out neatly and handed it back to Hakkai. "Here, wrap up in this until the fire gets started. You don't want to catch a chill, do you?"

Hakkai laughed and did as she asked, resuming his position next to Sanzo. "You're right, of course, Yaone. Thank you both for your kindness."

Fuck him. Sanzo stretched his blanket out on the ground, ignoring the cold air seeping into his still soaking robes and set about smoothing the sutra in place, checking it for any new tears or stains. Whatever was going on with Yaone was bullshit. He'd heard about females getting pissy every once in a while for no good reason. Maybe that's what was wrong.

"Gojyo, more sake?"

"Damn... how can I refuse a beautiful woman with more booze?"

Sanzo bristled as she laughed lightly. Was she... she was flirting with GOJYO? Of all the ridiculous, under-handed, fucked up... he stood up angrily and all but tore his robes off, stretching them out on the chain line. There was no amount of pain, no cruel enough way to die suitable for the kappa right then. And, for once, he truly hoped Yaone was there with him. She was mad at him, fine, he could handle that. But he wanted to know why so he could have a reason to be mad right back! And wasn't it against the rules for her to throw herself at Gojyo? Gojyo! Of all people, she had to pick him! He knew she was just rubbing his face in it, but still... that wasn't allowed, was it?

"Hakkai?"

"Oh, yes please," Hakkai replied instantly.

Sanzo didn't even dare to hope she would offer him any. Why bother when it was obvious she was baiting him? He grimaced a little as the wet leather under the robes clung to him a little. Nothing worse than wet leather. Except for an enraged woman. He remembered hearing a quote about that, something about a woman scorned. Huh, whoever said it must have known damn well what he was going through! He needed to get her alone somehow, just for five minutes. He didn't think he did anything wrong... the last time he'd seen her she seemed pretty damn happy. Or maybe that's what was wrong. Was it the sex? Maybe it wasn't as good for her as he thought? She _seemed_ pretty satisfied afterward... but he hadn't really thought to check. Damn... was he bad at sex? That didn't sit well with him at all!

As luck would have it, he got his five minutes without any maneuvering on his end. Hakkai stood up, motioning for Gojyo to join him. "The least we can do is help Dokugakuji with the fire, Gojyo."

"Yeah, the gods know Sanzo's lily white ass doesn't wanna get dirty," Gojyo called over his shoulder, grinning as Sanzo glared after him.

Bastard needed to learn when to shut up, he thought as he stood up, using the excuse of getting more sake to go over to where she was standing, petting one of the dragons absently. Her jaw was set in a firm line, cheeks a little flushed with contained anger. Yeah, she looked real willing to talk.

Gojyo and Dokugakuji were arguing over some branch they found and Hakkai was trying to mediate between them, which gave him the perfect chance. Pouring the sake, he said quietly, "So, what crawled up your ass and died?"

"Oh, are you talking to me?" Yaone returned snidely, giving him an innocent face complete with wide eyes that didn't conceal the bottled up outrage inside.

"No, I'm talking to the other pissy female in the group," he answered just as sarcastically. If she wanted to play nasty, he could dish it back just as well!

"I didn't think you had anything to say to me. I _am_ a youkai, after all. It must be so distasteful even standing in my presence!"

What the... Sanzo's eyebrows drew together. Did he miss something? "What the hell are you babbling about?"

"Nothing of interest to someone of such noble stature. What could a youkai possibly have to say to _the_ Genjyo Sanzo?" Yaone stalked away from him, shoving tree branches aside roughly as she vanished into the forest.

Well... that was confusing. He was even more baffled and annoyed than before their conversation! Since when had he said or done anything to make her think that bullshit? He'd already explained to her he didn't have a problem with youkais unless they brought it upon themselves. So what was with all that I'm-a-youkai garbage? Sanzo returned to his place, swigging back the sake and staring after where she'd disappeared into the trees. Shit... now what was he supposed to do?

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai frowned when he noticed Yaone and Sanzo talking briefly. That in itself was odd, but what made it even odder was when she stormed off into the forest, leaving Sanzo looking almost shocked. What on earth... his mind flashed back to that time months ago when he'd bumped into her at the market. Hmm... perhaps ther WAS something there after all. Could it be that Gojyo was right all along, ever since they'd fought Shien together? Well, at any rate, he didn't think it safe for Yaone to be by herself. Those water youkai might not be the only thing lurking near the river.

"Hakkai? Hey, where you going?" Gojyo called as he dropped his bundle of sticks near where Gojyo was digging a fire pit.

Smiling back over his shoulder, he said, "I'm just going for a walk. I'm sorry for abandoning you like this."

"A WALK? What the hell?"

Hakkai laughed to himself as Gojyo continued to complain and question his sudden desire for exercise while Dokugakuji tried to get him to shut up. He could just imagine how this would appear to the swordsman, but right them he didn't really care. He was more concerned about someone he considered a friend than with appearances.

He finally found her sitting a good distance from the little camp on a rotted log, staring at her hands. The sun breaking through the leaves occassional caught on thin tears, which she wiped away without realizing he was there. Hakkai purposely stepped on a branch to alert her. She jerked her head up, eyes wide as she quickly sniffled back any more tears. "Hakkai... what are you-,"

"I just thought you might like some company, that's all," he replied, smiling kindly before taking a seat next to her. He wasn't comfortable with his shirt off and did his best to hide the scar across his belly with his arms. It was bad enough he had to see it everyday, he didn't want her asking questions about it.

"Oh, thank you. That wasn't necessary," she mumbled.

"I know." A silence fell between them as Yaone still stared at her hands and Hakkai stared at his bare feet. Taking a deep breath, he decided to plunge right in with it. "Actually, I followed you here because you looked upset."

"Did I?" It wasn't entirely friendly, but not hostile enough to dissuade him from continuing.

"Yaone... I know we're enemies and all but... well, you can talk to me, if you'd like."

"Supposed to be enemies? You don't think we are?" She looked up at him, eyes a little red but calm.

Hakkai smiled and shrugged. "To be honest... I know we're on different sides of the fence, but after all this is done and over with, regardless of the outcome, any of you would be more than welcome in our house."

Yaone's frown softened slightly, not quite a smile but close enough. "Thank you, Hakkai. I think I needed that." He was caught off guard a little when she hugged him gently, but he smiled and hugged her back before standing up. He didn't want to risk Sanzo seeing that, just in case his suspicions were correct. He didn't want to risk having a gun pressed to his head while he slept! As she stood up as well, he laughed and asked, "By the way, is there some kind of bonus for learning how to make shikigami?"

Eyebrows rising in surprise, Yaone laughed and answered, "Yes, as a matter of fact. A ten percent increase in pay. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was just curious! It seems we've been bumping into a lot of shikigami during this journey."

Yaone laughed again, covering her mouth with one hand. "I'm so sorry! It must be frustrating for you."

Hakkai rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. "The last ones were the worst, to be perfectly honest. Shikigamis of ourselves? That's almost lazy on the maker's part!"

Her smile slipped a little, the laughter fading almost completely from her eyes. "Someone made copies of the four of you?" she asked softly.

"Can you believe it?" he laughed. "As if one Sanzo wasn't bad enough, imagine two of them!"

"When did this happen?" The question held a note of urgency that told him this was very important to her.

Just as he'd thought... "Not too long ago," he continued, keeping the mildly amused expression on his face. "In Nijuushin, I believe. Sanzo got attacked by his own clone in the room. The cost of repair was atrocious!"

"O-Oh. Yes, I can imagine it was... We should probably head back now." Yaone turned and walked away, paler than before and definately a little more than shaken. Hakkai's smile widened a touch behind her back as he followed her. He'd figured once he mentioned Sanzo's shikigami that she'd react like that. Apparently, Gojyo WAS correct all along. The way she refused to give him more than a few words, how she looked when he mentioned two Sanzos. Yes, something was definately there, he was sure of it. For now, though, he'd keep that information to himself.

>>>>>>>>>>

Dokugakuji watched the couple briefly embrace before turning around. He hadn't heard a work Hakkai and Yaone had said, but they looked extremely cozy together. And he'd just gone out to make sure they were both okay! It wasn't safe with Kougaiji running around for any of them to disappear for very long. As he circled back before they noticed he'd seen them, he couldn't help feeling a little relieved it was Hakkai she was seeing and not Sanzo. Hakkai just made more... sense. Plus, he was a damned decent guy when it came down to things. Yep, if Yaone was hellbent on falling for one of their enemies, he was very happy it was the green-eyed youkai and not the bad tempered monk!

>>>>>>>>>>

Zakuro stayed in the shadows, watching as Yaone leaned forward and held the dark haired man to her passionately. So... was this the violet eyed man she was sleeping with? He could tell from here the man was very pretty, almost feminine pretty. Only a slight bend to the jaw, or a curve to his cheek saving him from being androgenous. His mistress would definately- oh, wait a second. No, not with such an ugly scar across his stomach. Zakuro knew enough about the Sanzo party to recognize this man as Cho Hakkai, the murderer of over a thousand youkai. His mistress wouldn't even bother to spit in this one's direction!

And Yaone prefered that filth over someone like him? No matter, it wasn't like he was infatuated with her or anything. It was more a matter of pride that any true blooded youkai woman would sleep with someone like that. As they disappeared from view, Zakuro came out from hiding, adjusting his fingerless gloves with a cruel smile twisting his lips. Well, if that didn't count as a treasonous act, he didn't know what did! His orders had been very clear. Destroy the Sanzo party. Take the Maten Sutra. Take care of the traitors. And that was exactly what he was going to do!

>>>>>>>>>>>

Goku looked around, heel right on the edge of the cliff. Man... this was really shitty! These stupid assholes kept on coming and coming, and the villagers were still stuck inside the cave. He could hear Kon calling him 'big brother' even through all the rocks and stuff. The youkai were moving closer, sneering and totally sure they'd won. Hehe, yeah right!

"Just give it up, kid! There's nowhere else to go," the one in front shouted, blue eyes flashing in anticipation.

Looking down again, he noticed a tree branch jutting out. Nowhere to go, huh? Grinning back at the youkais, Goku jumped back and over the side, hoping like hell he caught the branch okay. If he didn't, he was gonna splatter all over the ground. Rough bark slapped hard against his palm and he closed his hand around it, arm jerking hard enough to hurt at the sudden snapping of his body. "Ow... damn it!

"What the... The little shit jumped on purpose!"

"Did he die?"

"No way he coulda survived!"

Goku listened to all this as he swung his nyoi-bo around and into the side of the cliff, dislodging the rocks and earth that the youkai were standing on.

"HOLY SHIT!"

"RUN FOR IT!"

Goku hung on tightly as the earth crumbled over him as well, bodies slamming into him as they crashed into the river below. He kept his eyes closed, mouth shut and head down to keep from getting too beaten up. He didn't open his eyes again until the very last of the rockslide hit the water. Slowly, he looked down at the water's surface slowly stilling again, the white foam drifting away on the current. Whew, that was really close! Grunting, he once again pulled himself up over the edge of a cliff, stopping briefly to catch his breath.

Crapcakes, he was having a bad day! First that boat, then the youkai, then Sanzo and the others getting lost, and now these youkai! What next? Pushing to his feet, he hefted his nyoi-bo to his shoulder, walking over to the closed cave entrance. Now that the fight was over, the villagers could come out and go home.

He was just about to bring the staff down on the rocks when he felt a presence behind him. A heavy aura burned along his back and he turned around slowly, ready for another youkai attack. He instantly relaxed when he saw who it was, smiling. "Hey, long time no-,"

And just as suddenly, Kougaiji's fist sent him airborn shortly before the world disappeared in a shower of rock.

>>>>>>>>>>

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, the last two chapters deserve some massive thanks. First, thanks to Shinigamis Wrath for letting me call her at one in the friggin morning about that last chapter. That's damned decent of you, cowgirl! Second, this next chapter had a LOT of help sorting through plot bunnies. Greyliliy, AsianPrincess61, Allenoh (I think... did I mention this to you? Eh, oh well, shout out anyway!), and I believe blahsblah2001 as well. Anyway, thanks a lot for killing off the stupid plot bunnies. Everyone, make sure you give them lots of hugs, love and all that fluffy goodness, okay?


	24. Chapter 24

So... it was a shikigami she'd run into. Yaone smiled to herself, carefully keeping her face turned down so Hakkai couldn't see it as they walked back to the group. Her stomach was in a million and one knots as she though about how she'd treated Sanzo. No wonder he looked so confused! Dokugakuji was coming up from the forest in another direction, frowning when he saw them.

"Where the hell did you two go?"

"Just talking," Hakkai answered honestly before sitting himself down on the far side of Sanzo and slightly back. Yaone tried to catch his gaze and give him some clue she was sorry, but he was still bent over the Maten Sutra, examining it with the fiercest scowl she'd seen to date. He was upset, and he had every right to be, just as she did. She hadn't known about the fakes running around and therefore assumed it was the real one. She poured more sake into the cup sitting by his elbow, which made him glance up, eyes going narrow and suspicious. Smiling, she mouthed, "sorry," before corking the bottle back up.

The suspicion turned to downright bewilderment as he shook his head, arching one brow. Her smile widened slightly and she had to keep herself from laughing at his expence. He was probably so confused right now. First, she was barely civil, and now she was being as ncie as pie. She'd have to find some time to explain it to him.

"So... you guys suck, you know that? Drowning in the river like that... Thought you guys were hard-asses. This one here looked more like a friggin pansy." Dokugakuji ruffled up Gojyo's soaking hair, grinning as the other shoved him away.

"Kiss my ass, Doku! It's not my fault some jackass river youkai attacked us," Gojyo spat back. Dokugakuji chuckled at his younger brother's anger and busied himself adding more wood to the fire.

"Thanks again for helping us out," Hakkai added, smiling as Yaone poured more sake for him as well.

"I owe you a few times at least. It wasn't much," Yaone replied. "Unfortunately, we really can't stay long."

"I was just going to ask about that," the green-eyed man continued. "You seemed in a bit of a hurry. Did something happen to Kougaiji?"

How to explain without explaining, she mused, huggin her arms around her waist. "Not really. We just... got separated, that's all." Kougaiji had to be somewhere around here somewhere! That 'somewhere' still had to reveal itself though. She and Dokugakuji had been walking around since they'd woken up from the sleeping powder with no clue as to which way their lord went. To say Doku was pissed was an understatement. He was frustrated and tired, but he was as persistant as ever. Which was good because she really didn't want to try and find Kougaiji all alone! But now this delay... as much as she was glad to have met up with them (and had the situation back in Niijushin sorted out), this delay was costing them valuable time in their search.

"Well... he's still after the sutra, right? So, all we've gotta do is wait and he'll probably find us," Gojyo suggested, scooping said sutra off the blanket and shaking it out gently... but so dangerously close to the fire that even Yaone was sweating bullets. If that scripture burned because he was being careless...

"Hey, watch it, dumb ass!" Sanzo pushed Gojyo back away from the fire a little rougher than was necessary and removed the Maten Sutra as carefully as he could from the other man's grasp, stretching it out again and beginning his inspection all over. "I swear to the gods, if this is singed..."

"Lighten up! I was trying to dry it out for you, asswipe," Gojyo sneered back, lighting a cigarette.

"If you weren't so busy staring at her tits, you might have noticed you were too goddamn close to the fire," Sanzo muttered back, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. Yaone quickly turned away as the blush started. Oh, dear... She glared as Dokugakuji let out a surprised chuckle. Sometimes, being the only woman in a group of men wasn't exactly the paradise many would think it to be.

"I can't help. I appreciate objects of fine quality!"

"Gojyo! Please, try and be polite. Yaone isn't that type of lady," Hakkai finally cut in. "And Sanzo, please stop wishing him dead with your eyes. I would have thought after doing it so many times you would have figured out it didn't work."

"Fuck off."

"Yeah, what the bitchy blonde said."

Dokugakuji let out a loud sigh of breath, arms crossing over his chest. He was once again somber, their situation still at the forefront of his mind. "Listen, guys. If you see Kou, forget about the sutra and run."

"Huh? You've gotta be shitting me," Gojyo exclaimed with a quick snort of laughter. "Like we'd just up and hand him the sutra! Hey, Hakkai, you got a silver platter in the Jeep we can put that on?"

"We don't mean it like that," Yaone exclaimed, whirling back around to glare at the red head. This wasn't a time for jokes! Dokugakuji was right, his younger brother was arrogant beyond reason. At the startled looks turned on her after that little outburst, she quickly dropped her gaze to the ground. Why had she said that? Now there were going to be questions, and they probably wouldn't drop it... "Just... not like that."

"Then what DO you mean?" Sanzo asked. Now the looks were turned on him at the almost gentle question. Yaone met his eyes in surprise. He was still angry at her, she could see that easily, but it was tempered with... concern? Sanzo was concerned for her? How... sweet. Wait, he shouldn't be acting like this in public! Dokugakuji wasn't stupid, and neither was Hakkai. Both of them might pick up on it.

"Whoa... why'd it suddenly get all tense around here?" Gojyo muttered, glancing from one to the other. "Does our dear Sanzo need some alone time with the pretty lady?"

Sanzo's response was to slap Gojyo in the back of the head, glare turning murderous. "I was only asking a question, asshole. Not everyone's a pervy little dickhead like you!"

"Ow... GODS! That one stung like a bitch!"

"You keep saying that, and yet you keep pissing me off. Learn to like pain or learn to shut up."

Hakkai was shaking his head, smiling to himself before sighing and turning to the other two with a shrug of what-can-I-do?

Yaone rubbed her temples to ease the growing migraine. "I'm being serious here. If you happen to see Lord Kougaiji, PLEASE-,"

"Hey, where's goku?" Dokugakuji cut in quickly, looking around for the boy.

Gasping, hand covering her mouth, Yaone glanced around frantically as well. Goku... where was he? Damn it, if she hadn't been so distracted being mad at Sanzo she would have noticed the fact they were lacking the strongest physical member of their group! None of them stood a chance against Kougaiji without Goku! An image of watching in horror as her lord ripped apart her lover made her stumble back a pace. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice, or if they did they ignored it.

"Oh, we sort of got separated as well," Hakkai added casually, rubbing his hands together to get them warm. "But it's nothing to worry about. We have a pretty good idea of where he is."

"SHIT!" Dokugakuji paced away and came back, claws raking through his short hair. "This is bad."

"Doku, if they were to meet, they'll fight. And with what's happened..." Yaone wrung her hands, mind racing over what to do. If they said they knew where Goku was, then maybe they could find the boy before Kougaiji did. Yes, finding Goku was what they should do first. Once he was there, she wouldn't worry so much. If anyone would protect Sanzo to the death, it was that one.

"Um, hello? In case you guys forgot, we're enemies. And enemies fight, right?" Gojyo drawled sarcastically, flicking the butt of his cigarette away.

If he only knew... Yaone continued to wring her hands, chewing on her lower lip as possible scenarios played themselves out in her head. If Kougaiji found them before they could reach Goku, what would she do? She had a duty to her lord, to defend him with her last breath against all his enemies. And, that included the three sitting around the fire. Once again, she wondered if she could actually kill Sanzo if it came down to it. He wouldn't hesitate for her, she was certain of that. So why should she feel obligated to spare him?

_Because... I think I really love him. And I've already lost so many that I loved, I don't think I could lose him._

"Forgive me for prying," Hakkai's soothing voice cut in. "But what happened to Kougaiji? And what happened with the two of you?"

Yaone glanced over at Dokugakuji, asking him silently for permission to tell them. It would be revealing a lot of very sensitive information concerning the revival project, but they had to know what they were up against. "We-,"

"I can't believe this," a voice called from the shadows of the trees. Yaone reacted without thinking, grabbing Dokugakuji's wrist as that voice wrapped itself around her, pulling up images of hands on her thighs, forcing her back onto a bed covered in silk sheets... She very carefully kept her eyes lowered as Zakuro swept into the little clearing, black coat billowing behind him like a storm cloud. A twisted little smirk came to his lips as he paused, his grand entrance maed.

"Who the fuck is this drag queen?" Gojyo muttered to no one in particular.

Ignoring the half-breed, Zakuro continued with his speech. "I really am quite surprised, Yaone, Dokugakuji. Betraying us to the Sanzo Party?" He made a tsking sound, wagging one finger back and forth. "That's not very nice at all!"

"You!" Doku snarled, even as he backed up a half step.

"What are you doing here?" Yaone demanded. Her heart was practically clawing its way out of her chest. The other three remained seated, playing the silent observers for the time being.

He blew her a kiss, the grin widening. "Miss me, pretty girl?" he taunted.

She gasped before she could stop herself, hands tightening angrily. She couldn't attack him, not unless he threatened her personally. He was Gyokumen Koushu's favorite, and there would be more than hell to pay if it wasn't a legitimate fight. Cheeks burning, tears stinging at the back of her eyes at that cruel reminder of what he'd done to her, she didn't reply to that.

"Hey, guys? If you're gonna fight, do you mind stepping that way a bit? You're blocking my sun," Gojyo commented, indicating with his middle finger which way they should go.

"Gojyo, please don't encourage him," Hakkai admonished.

Gojyo shrugged. "Sorry, but guys dressing femmy just ain't my thing."

Zakuro looked quickly down at his clothing, scrutinizing it closely. "Guys dressing... my, aren't we the cocky one?"

"Yep, got all the cock right here, cupcake. Too bad you won't ever get a peek."

"I'll ask again. What the hell are you doing here?" Dokugakuji cut in quickly before Gojyo got them even deeper into things. Honestly, it was a miracle any of them were alive with that mouth around! "Don't you have something better to do?"

"You know, I'm beginning to think Lady Gyokumen Koushu was right," Zakuro continued, crossing his arms over his chest and taking another swaggering step closer. "She'd always suspected the two of you would betray us at the drop of a hat. I guess I owe her an apology. But, you're right for once, Dokugakuji, I do have better things to do... like kill Genjyo Sanzo and his cohorts! That's right, my mission is to kill you!"

The three exchanged bored looks at what was supposed a dramatic statement. "Wow... I'm scared shitless," Sanzo said dully.

"So, who wants to take out the prom queen?" Gojyo inquiried, tossing his cigarette aside.

"Now, Gojyo, let's be honest. He's more crossdresser than prom queen," Hakkai chided mockingly.

"Excuse me? You DARE to insult me like that?" Zakuro demanded, fists clenched at his sides in fury. "Why, I have the power to kill you all just by-,"

"Listen, asshole, you're beginning to really annoy me. So how about you just shove off before I shove a banishing gun up your ass?" Sanzo snarled, whirling around and looking Zakuro dead in the eye.

"NO! DON'T LOOK IN HIS EYES," Yaone screamed just a fraction too late. She almost fell to her knees when Hakkai, Gojyo and Sanzo all three suddenly lolled over onto their sides, eyes closed and looking for all the world like they were asleep.

Zakuro laughed wildly, crossing his arms again. "Does it bother you, Yaone, that I've got your lover trapped in my little world?"

Lover? How did he... there was no way he could have found out about Sanzo! "I don't know what you're talking about," she stated firmly, all the while trying very hard to keep the hystery from sinking in. Sanzo... in Zakuro's clutches... Sanzo...

"I saw you, out in the woods. Fucking a murderer, are you? And I thought treachery was as low as you could sink."

In the woods? Oh! He thought she was sleeping with Hakkai? How absurd. That realization did absolutely nothing to calm her nerves. It didn't change the fact that Sanzo was now in Zakuro's world. And there was nothing she could do but wait and hope to God he got out on his own.

>>>>>>>>>>

"What the hell? Where'd that femmy bastard take us?"

Sanzo ignored Gojyo's continued shouting and cursing, stepping carefully over the piled bones and skulls. The sky around them was a deep crimson that bordered closer to black. The perfect color of fresh blood. Candles burned, shedding a little light in the area, but he didn't much care about the theatrical atmosphere. What caught and held his attention was the constant pressure in the air. Very powerful magic was being used, most likely by 'that femmy bastard' as Gojyo had apparently nicknamed their new friend.

Laughter echoed around them, bouncing off of invisible surfaces and reverberating back mockingly. It was annoying, but it did one very useful thing; it shut Gojyo up quickly. "HAHAHA! Now, you're all mine! By the time I'm through, you'll be begging for death!"

"And he was complaining about Gojyo's arrogance," Hakkai commented wryly, eyes scanning through the crimson shadows for their foe. Sanzo was doing the same, following every little shift in the shadows, every change in the hot breeze blowing through.

"Welcome the world I created just for you," the voice continued, centering on one spot as their host finally appeared before them, grinning eagerly. "I am Zakuro, Lord of Illusions."

"Wait, wait... all this shit's just an illusion?" Gojyo exclaimed. Not surprising the dumb ass hadn't figured it out sooner.

"It appears so, but it's not half bad in all honesty," Hakkai answered. Damn, it was creepy how nothing seemed to phase him!

Sanzo aimed the banishing gun at this so-called Lord of Illusion. This was complete bullshit, and he didn't have time for someone with dellusions of grandeur fucking with his head.

Zakuro's smile turned malicious as he spread his arms out, waiting. "And just how do you plan on shooting me when your gun is melted?"

Melted... Sanzo's eyes widened and he dropped the gun, staring at the melted barrel in total shock. Shit... double shit! How the hell was this possible? It wasn't real, there was no way the gun should have been in that condition. Maybe this wasn't going to be the cakewalk it appeared to be.

"And, what's this? Snakes! Better watch your step. You don't want to be bitten, do you?"

It took everything he had not to jerk away from the thing coiling around his wrist. Son of a bitch! If the gun was any indication, it could very well be that being bitten by an illusion would become real. he'd heard of the mind inflicting damage on the body itself through suggestion... but he'd never heard of anything like this!

"Aw, fuck no! Man, get this shit off me," Gojyo shouted, shaking the snakes circling up his body off. He yelped a couple times as fangs broke skin, blood trickling in thin lines.

"Gojyo, remain calm," Hakkai shouted. How the bastard could remain so perfectly still with snakes swarming him was beyong Sanzo's comprehension. Hell, he knew the snakes weren't real, but it was still an effort not to throw the damn things back into that smirking face. "Gojyo, stop struggling!"

"Damn it, kappa, listen for a change," he snarled. "Physical damage is connected to mental damage here!"

"Say what?" Gojyo continued to struggle, sucking in his breath sharply as more fangs bit down.

"Meaning, dumb ass, your mind is making it real and THAT'S how you're getting your ass handed to you! If you die here, you die for real."

Crimson eyes widened impossibly wide and just like that, Gojyo froze up. "Shit... holy shit. So, how do we get outta this?"

"Just don't listen to him," Hakkai commanded. "It's a type of hypnosis. So long as you don't listen to him, he has no power."

Sanzo glanced over at the green-eyed man and noticed the snakes were slowly starting to fall back. Obviously Hakkai was succeeding in telling himself they weren't real. He forced himself to relax, to stop seeing the snakes. They weren't real... they didn't exist... Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he noticed the snakes were beginning to fade from him as well. Which left Gojyo...

Still waist deep in shit. He was still fighting with the automatic urge to keep the things off himself and the need to calm down and realize they didn't exist. If he didn't get his act together, they were pretty screwed.

Zakuro continued to laugh behind them, head thrown back in glee. "Aren't you having fun? The great Sanzo party brought down by their own fears! It's too beautiful!"

Sanzo gritted his teeth but didn't respond. These theatrics were really pissing him off!

>>>>>>>>>>

Dokugakuji gaped at his brother, lying on the ground and twitching every once in a while, face screwed up in a combination of fear and disgust. Damn the little shit! He was falling for the illusions. He raked a hand back through his hair, helpless and confused as to what he should do. Yes, he knew they were enemies, but this was his BROTHER. Their orders were to retrieve the Maten Sutra, and that was all he was going to do. Killing the only blood relative he had was never part of the plan.

Gojyo's body jerked especially hard, fingers curling a little and a small sound breaking from his lips. He couldn't stand this. Gojyo was a pain in the ass, and they had a lot of personal shit between them, but he wasn't about to let him die at Zakuro's hands. Glancing at Yaone, he could tell she was still trying to think of a way to get them out of there. They couldn't kill Zakuro. If they did, they risked leaving the three in his illusion world, unable to wake up. A distraction... if they distracted Zakuro just long enough...

"Hey, Zakuro! The destruction of the Sanzo party was Kou's assignment. Your job's to get the sutra, remember?" Dokugakuji burst out, fists clenched tightly. Gojyo spasmed again, head tossing to one side.

Zakuro's smile became more of a contemptuous sneer. "You truly are naive, Dokugakuji. Did you honestly think that was all my mistress instructed me to do? This is exactly why you two couldn't even save your prince. How pathetic!"

Yaone bristled at that, eyes snapping angrily. "You know nothing of our situation! If anyone here is pathetic, it's you. Hiding behind illusions and trickery, that's all you do! What possible challenge is there in fighting three bespelled men?"

"Watch that temper, pretty girl, or I can easily send you to meet your lover. Oh, speaking of loved ones... this one is your younger brother, correct, Dokugakuji?" He nudged Gojyo with the toe of his boot.

No... Dokugakuji watched, frozen, as Zakuro crouched closer to Gojyo, smile widening enough for his fangs to show. "Hey, Sha Gojyo," he whispered, all the while keeping his attention on Dokugakuji. "Whatever happened to your arm? Is that... why, look! It's on fire."

Gojyo screamed, back arching off the ground. And he kept on screaming and screaming... Dokugakuji was frozen only for a moment longer before he fell to his brother's side, shaking him. "Come on, dumb ass, snap out of it! Gojyo!"

Zakuro backed away quickly, laughing the entire time. "Give it, Sha Gojyo. It can't be put out."

Gojyo continued to buck and thrash wildly, right hand awkwardly stiff. It was all Dokugakuji could do to keep him still enough not to bash his skull open. The idiot! Didn't he know it wasn't real? He glanced up when a slim pair of hands pressed down on Gojyo's shoulders, pinning his upped body to the ground. Yaone met his gaze briefly before she tried to wake Gojyo up. "Gojyo, please! It's not burning, it's just an illusion!"

"It's no use," Zakuro called mockingly. "His mind belongs to me now. And it's hot, isn't it, Sha Gojyo? VERY hot! Can't you feel it eating it's way up your arm? Can't you smell your flesh, see it curling away from your bones?"

The screaming got louder, more desperate. Both of them were having trouble holding him in place now. This was getting out of control! They had to get Gojyo out of there... but how?

"Oh... looks like it burned right off."

Gojyo continued to pant, body slicked over with sweat, little whimpers breaking with each breath. Yaone used the break to check his pulse and examine his hand quickly. "You've had your fun, Zakuro, just take the sutra and go," she shouted, fingers shaking as the checked Gojyo over.

"But I haven't even begun to play yet," he pouted. "Of course, if you wanted to take his place... Now, Sha Gojyo, you're angry, aren't you? you want to kill me. Fine, kill me. Use your shakujou."

"Don't do it, it's a trick!" Dokugakuji shouted, even while knowing Gojyo couldn't hear him.

>>>>>>>>>>

A part of him was screaming that this wasn't real, that his hand really hadn't burned right off. But it _hurt_ like it did, and he could see the wrinkled, blackened remains on the skulls. The shakujou was a heavy, reassuring presence in his left hand, cold metal something solid and real. Eyes narrowing, Gojyo swung the staff over his head, releasing the blade in mid swing to send the crescent arc slicing toward that smirking, arrogant face. Zakuro faded away... and two bodies fell to the ground, necks severed from heads, blood pooling out over the bones. Oh, shit... what the hell did he do?

Gojyo fell to his knees, heart slamming almost to a hault as Hakkai's head rolled over to him, the look of terror still plastered there. Sanzo's was somewhere a little further away. It's not real, it's not real it's not... he touched the cold skin, felt it give a little under his fingers and choked on the next breath he took. No way... no fucking way did he...

"Aw, you killed them! And I was starting to have such fun, too. What wretched aim you have!"

"I didn't... I didn't..."

"Yes, you did. You killed them!"

>>>>>>>>>>

"WHAT?" Yaone's head snapped up at that announcement and she quickly averted her gaze from Zakuro's when she realized she'd almost looked into his eyes. He had Gojyo... She couldn't breathe. She couldn't move. All feeling was draining away from her body as she stared at an unmoving blonde. Sanzo...

"Almost caught you, pretty girl."

"Stop calling her that, asshole," Dokugakuji shouted, fists balled on either side of Gojyo's head. Gojyo was making strangled sounds, almost as if he were having trouble breathing, too. She should have been more concerned for him, seeing as he was still obviously alive, but Sanzo...

"Are you going to make me? Remember, I've still got your brother here," Zakuro threatened darkly.

Sanzo... Yaone blocked all of that out moving numbly over to where Sanzo was lying, perfectly still. No... She ran her fingers down his neck until she found where the pulse was and let out a sigh of relief. It was pounding strongly, and judging from the slight sneer twisting his lips, it was because he was angry. Well, naturally he would be considering Gojyo just 'killed' him. Sensing two sets of eyes were watching her in bewilderment, she went over to Hakkai next, even though she knew he was alright now. All the while she made checked on him, she kept sneakign glances at Sanzo from the corner of her eye.

Zakuro was laughing again, loud and borderline maniacle. "I told you there was no escaping my illusions! You might as well just roll over and die here. My illusions are-,"

"DOKU!" Yaone covered her mouth in surprise as he out of nowhere punched Gojyo hard in the chest. Gojyo gasped and fell completely still.

"W-What? Why did you do that?" Zakuro screamed, taking a half step closer, face contorted with rage. "I almost had him! Y-You...ARG!"

"Doku, what did you do?" Yaone asked, scooching closer to them.

"Simple. You can't control the mind if it's not there. So... I knocked him out," the swordsman replied with a pleased grin.

If that worked for Gojyo... she whirled around, prepared to do for Sanzo and Hakkai as well... and was confronted by a long black coat and leather boots. Zakuro put himself between them and the other two, and she didn't need to see his eyes to know the threat was there. "You even think about going to them, and your lover will suffer the same fate you did, Yaone."

Except... he thought Hakkai was her lover. Either way, she would never allow anyone to suffer being raped at his hands. And, as long as he had both Sanzo and Hakkai trapped, they couldn't do anything to help them. She sat back and waited nervously. This could only end one of two ways. Sanzo would find a way to break the spell. Or she would be mourning yet another loved one's loss.

>>>>>>>>>>

This was going so much better than even he had planned it! Zakuro smiled and chuckled to himself as the two remaining looked around for their missing friend.

"So... unconsciousness is another way to get free," Cho Hakkai commented.

"Hmph, goddamn kappa's lucky his brother gives a shit," Genjyo Sanzo muttered back.

"So, you figured it out. Bravo. And now what?" he asked. Even with that information, they both couldn't black out and leave. Now... what to do to them...

"Don't expect us to fall for this pathetic show like that moron did," Genjyo Sanzo threw at him. "You got lucky with him."

"Sorry, but we're the intelligent ones," Cho Hakkai added with a pleasant laugh.

Zakuro arched a brow, still smiling. Intelligence didn't have a thing to do with it. In fact, that was a point in his favor. The more intelligent a person, the more detailed an image he could pull from their head. "So... the grand plan is to use self suggestion, correct? Ever hear of the kaiba?"

The two before him exchanged glances before Cho Hakkai's smile widened and Genjyo Sanzo's lips twisted a little upward. "Isn't that another name for walrus?" the demon slayer asked innocently. The other one snorted, shaking his head a little.

"Laugh all you want," he continued, bristling at their continued arrogance. Little did they know what trouble they were in! "But the kaiba stores short-term memory, which is stronger in the more intelligent beings. All I have to do is call to that, and I can pull those memories to the surface." He started searching those memories quickly, trying to find an attack, a deangerous incident, anything that happened recently... and he stumbled upon the perfect one.

"Last night we had fried rice," Genjyo Sanzo remarked sarcastically. "It had lots of peas in it and tasted like shit."

"But the soup that came with it was excellent," Cho Hakkai added quickly.

"It wasn't half bad. Could have used more tofu."

"Oh, I agree, but the broth-,"

"And what about today?" Zakuro asked, getting their attention. He could see the realization blossom on their faces. They knew what he was refering to and were trying to block it. Too little too late, unfortunately for them. He already had those memories at his disposal. "That's right. You were drowning in the river."

Immediately the scenery changed and the two fell through the dark water, dropping down as if weighed by lead blocks. "You're sinking deeper and deeper. The water's so bitingly cold, you can feel it inside you. The current's too strong for you to swim, and it's sucking you down farther and farther."

"There's no water," Cho Hakkai struggled to say, fighting with his own memories. Yes, this one... he should take especial good care of this one, for Yaone's sake. He could almost see her crying now as her lover drowned to death in his head.

"And what happens when you talk under water? You lose your air, of course!"

Cho Hakkai's eyes widened when he suddenly found himself without air. His eyes widened, mouth open, trying to draw in something other than water.

"The water's entering your lungs, freezing cold and salty to the taste. Can you feel it burning it's way into your flesh, blocking off any air you might have gotten? You're choking on it, Cho Hakkai, you're drowning. And you as well, Genjyo Sanzo."

The minute he suggested it to the priest, other memories came flooding in. Memories of another river, another treacherous current. Genjyo Sanzo had almost drowned before. Zakuro held onto those memories, bringing them to the surface as well to add to the illusion. Cho Hakkai was almost gone now, he could feel the thoughts slowing, becoming more scattered. Zakuro frowned when he caught a name being repeated, followed by a sense of grief and joy.

_Kanan... together now... Kanan..._

Kanan? Who was that? No matter, he would leave the murdering bastard to die in peace. These new memories coming from Genjyo Sanzo were intriguing. A man, lots of blood, the water tugging him down... "That river's current is wild and unpredictable, isn't it, Genjyo Sanzo? Can you hear the water blocking your ears? You're sinking farther and farther down, the dark water engulfing you, bringing you to the bottom. No one can hear or see you now, the water's so dark and deep. The darkness is complete now, and it's-"

What the... the illusion blurred, fading out briefly before returning. Something was going on. He tried to pull the images back, but he was being blocked. How? How could this human block him? The illusion was perfect, it was fool proof! He struggled with the newfound certainty that all of this wasn't real, struggled to keep the water in place. And he was losing. Impossible!

Genjyo Sanzo stood in front of him, dripping wet, but the drops were fading quickly with the growing knowledge that he could beat this. He'd broken the illusion! Zakuro backed away, gaping, jaw slacked. "WHAT! This is impossible! You can't just-,"

"Kouryuu of the river's flow... that's right," Genjyo Sanzo said softly, almost as if he were talking to himself. He bent down and picked up the banishing gun, now no longer melted. "Bad choice of words. It wasn't dark. I saw a light."

NO! "I told you, that gun is ruined! You can't use a melted gun!" The click of safety made him fall back another pace. This wasn't happening. This COULDN'T be happening! The illusion was one of his best. How could this... _human_ break one of his spells? He was the Lord of Illusion, and none could stand before him!

"The gun's fine." The rolling sound of metal on metal came to him as a bullet slipped into the chamber.

"T-Then it's not melted! It's... it's jammed! That bullet is stuck and you can't shoot me," he tried desperately. He had to regain his control, somehow he just HAD to. If he didn't, he knew he was dead.

"Shut the fuck up and listen to me."

Zakuro stared down the barrel of the gun, up the arm keeping it level and aimed directly for his chest, to the face of his would be killer... and at something he never would have guessed in a million years. His eyes widened as he looked straight into...

"I say I can."

He snapped out of his shocked trance long enough to twist his body around, taking the bullet in the shoulder instead of lethally into his chest. And as the illusion ripped and faded and he was sent tumbling back into the trees, one thought stuck in his head. He'd been staring into cold, amethyst eyes. Those were the same eyes he'd seen before, in Yaone's mind. Which meant that the healer was... Zakuro chuckled quietly from his place in the bushes. "How unexpected," he murmured to himself. His mistress was just going to love this bit of gossip!

"Sanzo!"

"Dude, you didn't kill him!"

"I wasn't trying to. If I killed him, I'd be stuck there, idiot."

The priest... and the apothecary? How delicious! Zakuro continued to laugh as he struggled to his feet, blood running freely down his arm. "You honestly think you've won? This is far from over, Genjyo Sanzo! I will return and next time you won't be so fortunate! AHAHAHAHAHA!" He swung his jacket off and around, right into the faces and made a quick escape. Some would have called it a retreat, but he refered to it as a minor set back on the path to glory.

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku hit the ground and pushed to his feet as quickly as he could, even though his entire body was screaming a protest. His legs hurt, his arms hurt, his neck and back hurt, hell even his ears hurt! Kougaiji was really strong today. REALLY strong! Normally, he would've been super happy about that. Kougaiji was probably one of the strongest people he'd ever fought head-to-head with... but this wasn't normal at all.

"Hey, what's wrong with you? Somethin's funny and- SHIT!" Goku barely missed the fist that smashed through the rock wall where his head was. He... He was actually TRYING to kill him! But... were't they friends? Yeah, technically they weren't, but he liked Kougaiji as a person and he thought Kougaiji felt the same way. He quickly ducked and dodged the series of kicks and punches that would have smashed him into the stones again, twirling his nyoi-bo around behind his back. Fine, he wanted to play rough, he'd show him rough!

Letting out a wild cry, Goku ran and jumped into the air, bringing his nyoi-bo crashing down at Kougaiji, expecting the prince to jump out of the way of the obvious attack. Instead, he stopped the blow from landing with his bare forearm. WHAT? He can't just use his arm like that! It should have shattered, but it didn't. What the hell was wrong with him?

Goku grunted in pain as he was slammed into the rock again, one clawed hand around his throat keeping him pinned there. Staring into eyes that were eerily similar to Sanzo's and... nothing. No one was home. They were empty and lifeless and uncaring. Kougaiji didn't care that he was hurt. He didn't even know _he_ was hurt! This wasn't Kougaiji. it had to be some kind of crazy monster wearing his skin and using his voice.

"I'll ask you again. Where is Genjyo Sanzo?" Kougaiji questioned sharply, digging his claws in a little harder for emphasis.

"L-Like I'd... tell ya," he spat back. Like he even knew at this point! He screamed as he was yanked from the rock wall and thrown to the ground hard. Something (more than one something, actually) popped in his chest and suddenly breathing was difficult. He knew that feeling. His ribs were broken. "S-Shit..." His nyoi-bo, where was it? There. All he had to do was reach out his hand...

A boot heel crushed down on his fingers and he screamed again as the bones cracked. "I want the Maten Sutra. If you don't know where Genjyo Sanzo is, you're useless to me and will therefore die."

He needed to move, but he couldn't. His body was ignoring him. Damn it... MOVE! This was so lame. Goku could hear Kon screaming at him, but he couldn't register what exactly he was saying. What was lame, this fight? This situation? What? Where were the others, anyway? Shouldn't they be...

That was when it clicked. HE was lame. He was expecting Sanzo and the others to come marching in and save his ass. Man, was that stupid! Why was he relying on them when he didn't even know if they were coming? He really WAS a stupid monkey! Kon's screaming had distracted Kougaiji enough so the prince didn't see him struggle to his feet, broken fingers wrapping around his nyoi-bo awkwardly. It hurt like hell to stand, but he had to. Kougaiji was walking over to the tunnel entrance, to where Kon's face was peeking through the rocks. That wasn't cool.

Kon screamed as deadly claws came ripping toward his face. It stopped midswing, Goku's hand wrapped around the wrist, straining to hold it back. Kougaiji turned, clearly surprised, and Goku used the twist in his body to land a solid kick right under his jaw, sending the prince skidding across the hard dirt.

Spitting blood from his broken lip, Goku balanced carefully on his one good leg, keeping his upper body loose and ready to block any blows coming his way. "Forget Sanzo, asshole, you're fighting me now!"

>>>>>>>>>>

AUTHOR'S NOTE: One more chapter (obviously, the Big Fight Scene) and then we get back to the lovey-dovey stuff! I PROMISE! Thank you, everyone!


	25. Chapter 25

This was all a mistake. How could he have thought she was different than any other woman? So stupid of him, really. Sanzo continued the hike uphill, taking the lead and keeping Goku's voice in the back of his mind. That damned monkey got himself into a tight situation alright. The only real thoughts he was getting were Kougaiji was there, they were fighting... and a very strong confidence in his own abilities. Usually, Goku's confidence wasn't this pronounced. Obviously the little bastard stumbled onto something.

Damn it! What the hell was her problem anyway? She was all kinds of pissy at the camp, right before that Zakuro moron showed up, and two seconds before he put in his appearance she was all nice again. And what was with Hakkai going off with her? He trusted the green-eyed man not to do anything intentionally... except Hakkai didn't know about them, and he'd always suspected he had feelings for Yaone. There was just something about those two together...

_Stop it right now! Nothing COULD have happened, you moron. They weren't gone long enough for any of that. And Hakkai is far too much a gentleman to throw himself at her in the middle of a fucking forest with the rest of them sitting not even ten feet away. He probably just went to see what was wrong._

True, but... he wanted to be the one to do that. He would never say it outloud, and practically choked on it saying it to himself, but it bothered him to see her so angry. He didn't like it for a few reasons. First, it was directed at him and he had no idea why. Second, it didn't bode well for future sexual encounters if she was pissed at him. Third... he just didn't like it. And if she WAS upset, he wanted to be the one she came to. Not Hakkai, not Kougaiji, HIM! Unfortunately, their situation made it very difficult for him to be able to do that. After all, they were enemies and he wasn't the nice guy Hakkai was. Hakkai could get away with it and not have questions asked. Sanzo couldn't.

He glanced over as Yaone came up just slightly to his side. Dokugakuji and Gojyo were arguing (couldn't the kappa go one day without being a whiny bitch?) and Hakkai was... fueling the fight? First he would support one, then turn around and support the otehr brother. What the hell was going on with everyone? Sanzo glanced back and met a certain green gaze that told him more clearly than words he at least guessed about their relationship. Hakkai was fueling the arguement to give them a chance to talk. Shit, was he a clever bastard!

"Very quickly," Yaone whispered, drawing his attention back to the path while he snuck glances at her out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry about what happened there. It was a misunderstanding."

"I'll say. What the hell was going on?" he whispered back, trying to keep the anger from coming out. Until he heard what had happened, he wouldn't get mad at her. Or at least that's what he told himself.

"It's... complicated, but believe me, I'll explain it all. I just wanted you to know I was sorry."

Sanzo fished out his cigarettes and lit one up, carefully blowing the smoke away from her. "Whatever. We'll talk more later."

He knew she was smiling a little as she backed off. Well, that made him feel a little better! At least she wasn't mad at him anymore, and she said she was going to explain everything soon. He and Hakkai would have to check the map tonight, figure out where they were going, and try to find some way to get the message to her without anyone noticing. Difficult task, but not impossible.

"Does he have any idea where we're going?" Dokugakuji demanded.

"That's actually what I just asked him, and he does, Doku," Yaone answered quickly. Smart woman.

"Oh... so where are we going?"

Sanzo pointed straight ahead. "This way."

"Real cute," Dokugakuji shot back.

Sanzo smirked at the other man's annoyance and picked up the pace a little. He could hear Goku now without using their link, could tell from here the boy was pretty hurt.

"Doku, can you hear-,"

"Yeah. Come on, Yaone!"

Sanzo was practically shoved aside by Dokugakuji as he and Yaone ran ahead to their lord. Fine, let them run. It wasn't going to change anything.

"Is the monkey there?" Gojyo asked, coming up on his other side.

"Yeah."

"Good, 'cause I'm gonna kill the little bastard for making me hike this goddamn hill to find his ass!"

>>>>>>>>>>

Duck, crouch, kick low, punch high... Goku threw himself into the fight with Kougaiji, knowing he was the only one standing between those villagers the prince's anger. Sanzo was okay, he had Gojyo and Hakkai with him. He knew the kappa wouldn't allow himself to die by Kougaiji's hand, and Hakkai was scary powerful without his limiters. Not to mention, Sanzo had the sutra and his gun. They'd be okay, but these villagers wouldn't.

Kougaiji's punch went wide, claws just barely raking his cloak as he scrunched himself up before exploding upward, fist catching the other man in the jaw and sending him through the air to smash into the rock wall and slide down, limp. He shook his hand out, ignoring the painful sting of cracked knuckles and grinned through the blood pouring into his eyes. "See, easy?" And it was, too, once he figured out he needed to stop relying on the others and fight his own fights.

"LORD KOUGAIJI!"

"Holy shit... HANG ON, KOU!"

Goku was starting to see grey spots. That wasn't good. And he was wondering where those two went. Usually they were plastered to Kougaiji's ass. He picked his head up when he smelled the familiar cigarettes, one weak the other so strong it almost burned his nose to smell. It was about damn time.

"Nice work, monkey," Gojyo drawled, slapping the hand Goku held up for a high-five.

That was right before the grey spots took over and he fell down, sinking into blessed darkness. The very last thing that came to his mind was a slight wave of relief and...

_It's a good thing you're alive. I wouldn't have forgiven you for dying like a weakling._

_Thanks a lot, Sanzo_, he tried to say back, but he wasn't sure if it got through or not as he passed out completely.

>>>>>>>>>>

So, Goku was out. Kougaiji was hurt, and pretty badly too, but he was still fighting his way up. Gojyo and Hakkai fanned out slightly from Sanzo's sides, Gojyo unhefting the shakujo from his shoulder, grinding his cigarette out into the dirt, Hakkai cracking his neck and keeping his hands loose and ready.

Yaone was trying to keep Kougaiji from getting up, trying to take a look at the wounds covering him, but he slapped her aside roughly, eyes completely focused on the sutra. Sanzo gritted his teeth, hand tightening on the gun angrily. The bastard hit her. He didn't really care if Kougaiji was being controled by some quack doctor (Yaone and Dokugakuji had spilled that much information as they'd gotten ready to leave) the fact remained that he'd hit his girlfriend. And that was something he wouldn't tolerate, crazy or not.

"Genjyo Sanzo, hand over the Maten-,"

"Eat me," he interupted. He was getting sick of this litany. Gojyo chuckled from his left, adjusting his footing slightly for the fight that was about to come. The tension was thick in the air, so heavy it was hard to breathe without it crushing on the lungs. This fight was a long time coming, and with Kougaiji's new found killer instincts, it was going to be one hell of a show.

"Fine. Then I'll take it by force."

"Try it, you bastard."

Kougaiji struggled to his feet, one arm hanging a little oddly at the shoulder. Not broken, but definately dislocated. Yaone reached for him, eyes wide with fear. "My lord, you shouldn't-,"

"Shut up! Get in my way, and I'll kill you, too."

Yaone and Dokugakuji weren't the only ones surprised by that statement. "Daaaamn," Gojyo drawled. "Never woulda thought to hear _him_ spew that."

"Doesn't he remind you of someone?" Hakkai asked with a nervous laugh.

"I can't kill you now, but if you keep talking, I'll make sure to do it later," Sanzo shot back at them.

The chain rattling free told him Gojyo was ready. A light forming to his right said Hakkai was as well. Fine, maybe if they were quick about kicking Kougaiji's ass they could still catch some dinner in the next town.

"You wanna play, bring it! THIS IS FOR KILLING THE MONKEY!" Gojyo shouted before swinging the shakujo's blade around in an elagant arc.

Sanzo didn't bother to correct Gojyo by telling him Goku was still very much alive. Why bother explaining something to the incompetant?

>>>>>>>>>>

Oh, mother fucker! Gojyo plastered himself to the ground as Hakkai threw a chi shield up, blocking the roaring flames Kougaiji sent their way. Shit, Doku wasn't kidding about Kougaiji being a killing machine! He'd sliced him up good a couple times and... nothing. It didn't even slow his ass down!

"STAY DOWN!"

Gojyo did as he was told for a change, glad he did as four rounds shot off from where Sanzo was crouched. At least three hit their mark, none of them lethal because of Kougaiji constantly moving. Blood flowed... and still the bastard was coming! And was it just him or was he DODGING the bullets now?

"SANZO!" Gojyo got to his feet as the monk reloaded, swinging the shakujo over his head and arcing the blade at Kougaiji, who was aiming a kick for Sanzo's head. Kougaiji twisted impossibly midair, the blade just barely scratching his stomach. Holy shit, how did he move like that? Kougaiji was fucking brilliant in battle, but THIS wasn't even possible! Maybe that doctor guy took out a couple ribs on top of the brainwashing.

He could hear Sanzo and Hakkai talking, but he couldn't focus on what they were saying. His shakujo went spinning from his hands as a numbing kick connected with his wrist. He was now busy dodging a flurry of punches that would have done more than shatter his nose. Son of a btich...

"Will you two ladies stop talking and help me?" he shouted as he wove around another fire blast that Hakkai casually blocked while still talking with Sanzo, and did a move he'd picked up in many a bar brawl; he just ran head on into his opponent, dragging his ass to the ground and pinning him face down to the rock below. "Hurry the fuck up and shoot him, Sanzo!" The body beneath him instantly began to buck and fight, trying to throw him off. If there was one thing Sha Gojyo excelled in, it was pinning someone's ass to the ground. But,Kougaiji's struggles were starting to wear on him and his back-up was still chatting. What the fuck...?

Gojyo glanced over his shoulder and noticed why Sanzo wasn't shooting. Dokugakuji was standing in his way. Fuck!

"I don't want to hear it," Sanzo snapped coldly at his brother before shifting his attention to Gojyo. "MOVE IT, KAPPA!"

He was only too glad to obey that order! He rolled off and away from Kougaiji quickly...

And was suddenly choking on an explosion of dust, dirt and rock. "What the... ack... hell?" As the smoke began to clear, two figures could be seen standing between them and Kougaiji. Dokugakuji's sword was out, eyebrows drawn down over his eyes. Yaone had several small bombs between her fingers, something very close to a resigned smile on her lips. Oh, shit...

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone met wide violet eyes through the clearing smoke, saw the momentary shock before the coldness settled back in. She felt sick to her stomach, close to tears with what she was doing. She loved him, yes, but she couldn't stand by and watch the man who saved her get executed like a rabid dog. Since Dokugakuji and Gojyo were the only two with real weapons, it had been decided silently that they would fight each other. This left her to take care of Hakkai and Sanzo.

_Please, forgive me, Sanzo. I'm so sorry._

The next round of explosives were flung as Sanzo leveled the gun in her direction. The earth shook and rock shards blasted everywhere. A sharp bang rang out through the rumbling and Yaone gasped as a bullet grazed her shoulder. She wondered briefly if he'd aimed high on purpose before she was flinging more bombs at Hakkai, forcing him into a defensive position. The deadly chi blasts couldn't be used if he was maintaining a constant barrier.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Gojyo demanded, straining as he fought his brother off.

"Sorry, guys, but this is our side, no matter what," Dokugakuji explained, backing off enough to let Gojyo regroup.

"I never asked for your help," Kougaiji snarled, still struggling to stand.

"I don't think either of us really cares," Yaone answered back, still watching her two opponents closely. For now, the gun was pointed at the ground and there was no ball of chi waiting to be let loose. "I hated it. I hated being apart from you, Lord Kougaiji. This may not be what you wish, but we don't really give a damn."

"We're here for you, Kou. No one else. Not Gyokumen Koushu's orders, not Nii's games... not even your mom. We're here for you," Dokugakuji added, adjusting his grip on his sword.

"Well, whaddya know, their boss is popular," Gojyo commented lazily, giving Sanzo a taunting little smile. "See, if you weren't so damn unfriendly, we could get ourselves some hot bodyguards like Yaone."

"I can always add you to the body count, kappa," Sanzo sneered.

"Ha, maybe later, monk!"

"It's three on three now, let's get this over with," Dokugakuji interupted before surging forward.

"Not quite," Hakkai commented before Yaone threw herself out of the way of the chi he let loose. He was getting better at that technique. There wasn't as much of a build up anymore, which meant tracking his movements was more difficult.

Yaone yelped as Goku leaped clean over their heads, bringing his staff down between Gojyo and Dokugakuji in an almost perfectly rehearsed maneuver. Dokugakuji quickly had his hands full with an enraged monkey, barely blocking the stinging fast blows. Something wasn't right here. Gojyo and Goku were ganging up on Dokugakuji, Hakkai was firing not at her but near her, driving her away...

She saw the danger when she located the last member of their party. "LORD KOUGAIJI!" Without thinking, she threw three bombs in Sanzo's direction, only realizing after they'd exploded that she very well could have killed her lover. Oh, God...

And, unfortunately, the wind kicked in just then, blowing the smoke and dust into the air and creating a screen for their enemies. She heard a chain rattling free and turned in a tight circle, trying to find that crescent blade in all the confusion. She could hear Hakkai shouting for Gojyo, hear footsteps as someone ran...

Someone tackled her around the waist, slamming her hard into the ground mere seconds before the crescent blade swept where her neck would have been. Yaone blinked, turning enough to meet Sanzo's cold glare briefly before he was off her and running for the fight again. The only thing that registered in her head at that time was the almost naked worry in his eyes before it disappeared again behind the cold arrogant mask. He'd been worried she was going to get hit by the shakujo. With all that was going on, them fighting and trying to kill each other... and he still saved her life.

Yaone got to her feet again in time to witness Kougaiji throw himself between Dokugakuji and the end of Goku's nyoi-bo. She watched in horror as her lord fell to the ground, bouncing a couple times before lying still.

"Gods, KOU!" Dokugakuji ran to him, and she was right behind him.

>>>>>>>>>>

This was all wrong. Not Kougaiji sacrificing himself, that was within character for the prince. But that blow from Goku hadn't been a stunning one. He shouldn't have hit the ground so hard, especially since he'd withstood the attacks right until then. Sanzo watched with narrowed eyes as Dokugakuji and Yaone both knelt beside their fallen lord. Damned tart... almost got herself killed by the stupid fucking pervert. She could die any way she chose, but he refused to let anyone he was sleeping with get killed by that asshole. It just wasn't right.

"Whoa... did you just see that?" Gojyo muttered, relaxing his shakujo just a bit.

"He just... he risked his life for Dokugakuji," Hakkai answered softly, staring at the scene in shock.

That wasn't surprising at all. Even brainwashed, Kougaiji was an honorable person. He tensed up when Yaone and Dokugakuji both rose slowly. Why the fuck did she choose to use the explosives? The spear would have been so much easier to avoid.

No one was prepared for the sudden aggression in Dokugakuji's next attacks. Goku just barely managed to hold his ground, while the rest of them were forced right up to the embankment ledge by explosions hitting just in front of them. She was forcing them into a corner, the damned minx! Once again, that nagging feeling that something wasn't right gnawed at his gut.

Sanzo waved a hand in front of his face, coughing as the smoke and dust began to clear. He caught a clear view of Kougaiji, noticed the other man crouched low, lips moving. MUTHERFUCKER! Everything clicked into place just as the fiend rose above Kougaiji's head.

"Holy... shit," Gojyo choked out before screaming as the thing came racing toward them.

"DAMN IT!" Hakkai threw a shield up... and then the ground gave way and they were falling again.

Sanzo hit the water hard, pushing to the surface of the turbulent waves and shaking his hair out of his eyes. Fucking, FUCKING hell! They were back in the goddamn river for the second time that goddamn day! He quickly started treading water, struggling against the tugging currents. He glared up at the three standing above him, the glare going darker when he saw Yaone trying not to smile. If she so much as twitched a lip...

Kougaiji stood over them, smiling smugly. The bastard! "We'll call it quits for today, but the next time we meet, that sutra is mine."

"WHAT? YOU'RE LEAVIN' ALREADY?" Goku shouted, momentarily stopping the treading motion and sinking down again. He quickly resurfaced, coughing water from his lungs. "GET BACK HERE AND FIGHT!"

"I don't suppose you would mind leaving some rope behind?" Hakkai called up pleasantly. A length of rope was thrown over the side in response, coiling into the water and floating away. "Oh... Thank you anyway!"

"You fucking pussies! YOU'RE the ones getting off easy," Gojyo roared, wiping long tendrils of crimson from his face.

Sanzo managed to find his gun and squeezed the trigger for good measure, even though he knew the bullets were nowhere near their mark. Snarling, he hit the water angrily, glaring up at the cliff. First, that bastard Zakuro. Then, Yaone nearly blowing him to pieces. And now this indignity. This was just not his day!

>>>>>>>>>>

Kougaiji marched passed the guards outside the lab, fists clenched and head lowered. It all seemed like a bad dream now. Every last bit of it, right down to the battle. All the awful things he'd done... all the people he'd killed. And for what, so that crazy bitch could laugh as he wandered around like a good little toy? This had gone far enough! He was still Prince Kougaiji, son to the Lord Gyumaoh, and he was NO ONE'S toy, least of all hers!

He entered the lab, the bar code tattooed on his arm itching a little as the lasers scanned it. The very first thing he was going to do after this was get that damned mark of slavery off his body. Yaone and Dokugakuji were already taking care of part of the plan. Now to ensure that these people would NEVER hurt his family or himself again. And that included his sister. Nii was directly in front of him, playing chess and smoking, the stuffed rabbit tucked under his arm. The human looked up at him with an almost bored expression.

"So... how was the fight? Oh, never mind, I don't need the details. You know, I DID say you could kill them. Maybe you need a few minoradjustments. Come take your clothes off for daddy..."

Kougaiji kicked the table over, startling Nii and Wang to no end. The cigarette very nearly fell from those frowning lips. It was the first time he could recall not seeing that arrogant smirk on the scientist's face. Hwan backed away with a gasp, hand covering her mouth. Her eyes drifted over to Dokugakuji carrying Lirin, soaking wet, naked, and unconscious. Yaone was right beside him and had the coldest glare he'd ever seen in her eyes. She would protect Lirin for as long as she could draw breath, he knew that beyond a doubt.

"Hey, you can't just do that! We need the princess back-,"

"Silence," Kougaiji snarled at her, causing the woman to stop dead in her tracks.

Nii was watching him, all amusement gone from his face and slowly being replaced by a seething anger. "We need to chat, you and I. I'm curious... how you managed to return to normal." His voice was very controled and low, as if he was trying very hard not to scream. Served him right.

"You listen to me," he said, almost surprised by how controled his own voice was. "I have nothing to say to you. You will NEVER use me again, is that clear? I'm not your toy, and I never will be!"

"My, my... sounds almost traitorous. Are you really joining their side then?"

"This isn't me switching over, this is me fighting the Sanzo party on my own terms, and of my own free will. I will NOT be your pawn again, is that clear?"

A smile finally twitched Nii's lips, his arrogance reasserting itself. "Perfectly."

Kougaiji turned at Yaone's small gasp, saw Lirin's eyes cracking open slowly. Green eyes, like looking up into new leaves, sparkled as a weak smile came to her lips. "Big... brother," she whispered, reaching for him.

He took her hand, felt the aching in his chest ease out at the assurance that she was unharmed. Thank the gods... if he'd lost her, he didn't know what he would do. "Weren't you the one who told me to hold on to what was dear to me? Getting separated won't change that. If I stumble, I know I have people there to back me up. But, I guess someone like you couldn't possibly understand that."

He left the laboratory with his friends behind him and took a small pleasure in the frustrated growl followed by things being thrown around. Giving Nii a migraine was an oddly pleasant sensation.

"Hey... brother? Did you REALLY kick Baldy-head's ass?" Lirin asked from Dokugakuji's arms.

"Lady Lirin! That language isn't appropriate for someone your age," Yaone admonished quickly.

Kougaiji smiled, chuckling under his breath. "It's alright for today, Yaone. Lirin's been through a lot recently."

"As you wish, my lord," she mumbled disapprovingly.

"And, yeah, we tarred them," Dokugakuji whispered loudly to Lirin.

"Aw... man! You guys couldn't just wait for me? I wanted to beat up bald Sanzo!"

Kougaiji's smile widened further as he turned to glance over his shoulder, brow arching. "Don't worry, there'll be plenty of other times."

Lirin grinned full out, hair already drying in tight waves. "Better be," she answered.

Later that evening, Kougaiji walked down the now silent halls of Houtu Castle, wearing nothing but light pants and his mother's earrings. On top of having to cut the bar code from his arm (Yaone had been apalled by it, but had sewn him up as neatly as she could), he'd also repierced his ears. Yaone had held on to the precious jewelry for him, and had given it back after she'd fixed him. His shoulder still hurt terribly from when Dokugakuji had popped it back into place, not to mention the myriad of nicks, bruises and aches that covered his entire body.

Stopping outside Lirin's door, he hesitated before pushing it open. He didn't like the idea of her being alone after what had happened. If Koushu was crazy enough to use her own daughter in the revival project, the gods only knew what she'd do now that she was pissed off. Everyone had heard the enraged screaming from the throne room, and oddly enough, all the usual servants found themselves busy at the other end of the castle all day.

He pushed the door open softly, shutting it before moving closer to the bed. He could hear Lirin's soft little breaths... and someone else's as well. Moving a little more quickly across the floor, he relaxed when he saw it was Yaone, holding Lirin almost protectively. The faint moonlight hit her skin, casting it silvery against her dark hair. She looked perfect there with Lirin, and once again he felt his stomach clench at the mere sight of her. Why couldn't he do something about this? He _was_ her lord, after all. It was within his rights to request her to his bed.

It just wouldn't be the same, he thought. He wanted her, yes, but he wanted her to come willingly. There was a time where he knew she'd loved him... but did that still exist? Kougaiji sighed wearily and allowed himself to do something he would never have done if she were awake. He trailed his claws lightly down her arm, jumping back when she stirred, waking with a start.

"Oh... Lord Kougaiji. Forgive me, I didn't know-," Yaone started to sit up, yawning and pushing her long hair back over her shoulders.

"It's alright, Yaone. I was just checking on Lirin," he answered softly. He didn't want to wake Lirin up.

Yaone offered him a warm smile before snuggling back into the pillows. "I didn't want her alone tonight, my lord," she explained, closing her eyes again.

Kougaiji smiled as he stared down at her a moment longer. "Would you mind... if I joined you?" he asked.

Eyes opening again, Yaone shook her head, motioning to the other side if Lirin. "There's more space over there, Lord Kougaiji. And you don't need to ask my permission."

"I didn't mean it like... what I meant was... I didn't want to disturb you." Gods, why did he always feel so awkward when trying to talk to her as an equal, not a subject?

She laughed sleepily. "You could never disturb me, my lord."

Kougaiji smiled at that before stretching out on the bed, facing both Yaone and Lirin. Lirin muttered something about meatbuns before resettling between them. A few minutes later, and Yaone was back asleep. He didn't sleep at all for the rest of the night, though his body was weary to the point of collapsing.

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo paced back and forth in his room, robes folded neatly and sutra tucked away under his pillow. An ash tray full of cigarette butts was on the table, one burning between his lips. Goku had long ago fallen asleep, snoring away blissfully with his head hanging over the side of the bed. Must be nice, sleeping like the dead. Too bad he couldn't sleep at all. Every time he'd tried to lie down and close his eyes, the whole day just played itself out over and over again.

He'd be lying if he said it didn't bother him that Yaone tried to kill him. He wasn't mad about it, that would have been hypocritical of him seeing as he'd been trying to kill her, too. And therein was the problem. How the hell could they expect this to work when both of them would kill the other at a drop of the hat? He hadn't wanted to kill her, but if it was a choice between living another day or dying at her hand, of course he'd pick to live!

Damn it, what a mess! Why did this have to be so complicated? This was only supposed to have been two people conversing! Why did he have to end up liking her company? Why did he miss her when she wasn't around? Why did he have to care for her like this? This whole relationship thing was a goddamn hassle!

The logical course of action would be to end this now. Today was a perfect example of why it would never work. They both had their responsibilities. His to the mission, hers to her lord. How could they have thought this would work out? Gods, he was so STUPID to even hope that it would! It was an easy thing to fix. The next time he saw her, he just had to explain why he was backing out. It wasn't good for either of them, especially her. He didn't want her living with the possible guilt of having killed him. She didn't deserve that.

Sanzo stopped pacing when a soft knock came to the door before it was opened quietly. Hakkai poked his head through, smiling at Sanzo. It was one of his real smiles, the ones tinged with a sorrow that never seemed to leave, no matter how many years passed. "Sorry, but I heard you pacing," he whispered.

"No reason to be all hushed. Goku's dead to the world," he replied in a normal tone.

"Ah." Hakkai glanced at the boy, smile lightening a little. "Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to have a drink with me. I can't seem to sleep myself."

Sanzo blew out a stream of smoke, eyes narrowing briefly before he shrugged. He knew Hakkai well enough to understand this invitation for a drink was really his way of asking questions, but he couldn't sleep and a couple rounds of booze might help solve that problem. He grabbed the sutra out from under his pillow, stuck his gun at his back, tucked the lighter in with his cigarettes and followed Hakkai out the door.

"Where's Gojyo?" he asked. Not that he really cared where the waste of flesh was at, but Hakkai was in one of his moods and usually Gojyo stuck around on those nights. It wasn't raining yet, but there was a definate dampness in the air, as well as that cold rain smell. Hakkai always got a little somber before the rain started

"He's still at the bar across the street. I think. Someone mentioned something about a poker tournament."

"Hmph." Typical Gojyo right there. Sanzo took a seat at the now empty (and closed) bar of the inn while Hakkai went behind the counter, searching through shelves.

"What are we having tonight?" Hakkai asked, rummaging through the shelves.

"Whatever. Vodka, if it's there." Something strong that worked quickly was in order. It was almost three in the morning and he wanted a little sleep before starting off again.

"Mmm... nope. How about rice sake?"

"What's the label?"

Hakkai laughed, pulling the bottle up and setting it on the bar top. "I've never known someone to be picky over the type of sake they're served."

"If you're going to drink, it might as well be the good stuff. I'm not getting a hangover off of cheap booze," Sanzo replied, lighting a cigarette.

Laughing again, the green-eyed man asked, "Does this one meet your standards?"

He shrugged. "It'll do." It actually wasn't a bad label at all. Not as rough as some of the local swill the little villages liked to serve, but not so soft that it wouldn't kick him in the ass.

Hakkai came back around the counter with two sake glasses and placed enough money and then some to cover the bottle they took. The lights from the surrounding buildings was enough for them to see by, so there was no need to turn on the lights in the bar. Both downed their first shots, Hakkai shuddering as the burning after taste kicked in. "Oh... my. That's strong!"

"I thought you could handle your liquor," Sanzo commented as his cup was refilled.

"No, it's not that. This is really good! It's so difficult to find good sake nowadays. Do you think I left enough money?"

"You left enough for the bottle and his first born daughter, Hakkai. Keep your wallet in your pocket." Another shot went down, burning a path down his throat and warming his belly. Shit... this was exactly what he needed.

"Sanzo?"

Sanzo glanced over at Hakkai, who was filling their cups up for round three. Great, the inquiries were starting already. He couldn't have waited for at least three more shots before asking questions? "What?"

Hakkai hesitated, staring into his sake before saying, "Today was extremely bizarre, wasn't it? The water youkai was expected, but all the rest of it..." He flicked his fingers, indicating he didn't know really how to describe the events. "I think the most unusual was that last fight we had."

"Kougaiji was brainwashed. He didn't know what the hell he was doing." Maybe if he played dumb...

Sighing, Hakkai turned and gave him an almost fierce glare. "Listen to me, Sanzo. Crazy shit happens. That's just how things are. But don't let it take away what's important to you. Fight for it. If you just let it go... you'll regret it. You may tell yourself that you won't, but deep down there'll always be that nagging little voice."

Sanzo remained silent to that little speech. He had two options here; one, he could pretend he had no fucking clue what Hakkai was talking about, two he could just fess up and get it over with. The first was a little too close for lying, and Hakkai already knew (or had a pretty damn good guess) about the second. Leaning back in his chair, he pushed his glass over with one finger. Sake splashed into it and he downed it without waiting for Hakkai.

"So, you're saying to ignore what happened today?" he asked. He didn't have to say it outloud to Hakkai. And Hakkai wouldn't ever ask him to.

Smiling bitterly, Hakkai said, "Well, which bothers you more, what happened today or losing what's important?"

Trust him to put it so bluntly. He'd already asked himself this very question, and the answer was easy, "I'm not losing shit, not over something so stupid as a fight."

The smile brightened just slightly. "Then there's your answer. You can't ignore it, but don't let it eat away at what you have. Every couple has issues. You're no different in that regard."

"Most couples don't try and kill each other either."

Chuckling, Hakkai poured one more round, finishing off the bottle. "Then you don't know too many married people! Did you know that almost seventy-five percent of murders are commited because of a lovers quarrel?"

"Did you know that eighty-three percent of all statistics are made up?" he shot back.

That earned him a full out laugh. Hakkai shook his head, rubbing his eyes. "May I ask you something, Sanzo? And you can answer as you see fit."

"You've already pryed this far. It depends on the question, though."

"How long has this been going on?"

Shit... how long had it been going on? Sometimes it felt like years, other times it felt like the few months it really was. Sanzo shrugged and opted for an obtuse answer. "A while."

"Ah. I'm actually rather surprised."

"Why?" That sounded a bit insulting. Was it really so surprising for him to be interested in a woman? Hakkai knew Yaone, and he knew him. He should have guessed Yaone met his criteria, human or not. As he'd said before, he didn't have a problem with the youkai unless they brought the problem to him.

"I thought it had been a more recent developement. Sudden lust and all that."

Sanzo snorted, arching a brow. "Sudden lust? Shit, Hakkai, who the hell do you think you're talking to? I'm not that goddamn pervert you share a room with!"

Hakkai laughed softly, running his fingers through his hair. "I apologize. You're right, it was a foolish assumption."

"I'll say." Sudden lust his ass! This had taken a lot of work, a lot of patience... It was worth it in the end, though, to have someone. He had Goku, yes, but this was much different. In many areas (not all of them sexual), she understood better than Goku what he needed. Goku tried to make things better. Yaone accepted that things were shitty and left it like that.

Sighing, Hakkai stood up, stretching a little. "Don't let it go, Sanzo. If it's worth it, you'll put all you have into keeping it."

"Not all I have. A good portion, though." There was only one person he would have done anything for, and that person was dead. Never again would he live for someone like that.

"Fair enough. Good night."

"Whatever. Hakkai."

Hakkai paused in the doorway as Sanzo stood up, draining off the very last of his sake.

"Thanks for the drinks."

Smiling again, he said, "You're welcome," before heading upstairs.

Sanzo waited a few seconds before following him up. Hakkai knew, and he was fine with that. He knew the other man wouldn't dare breathe a word of this to anyone. One of the good things about Hakkai was that he did trust him to do what was necessary. The sake was starting to make his entire body warm as he trudged back to his room, shooting a look at the new (and very uncomfortable) position Goku had flung himself in. At least the brat had stopped snoring. Sanzo put his cigarettes and gun on the table by the bed, wrapped his hand around the sutra and hid it under the pillow.

Hakkai did have a point though. His relationship with Yaone was fucked up, but it would be an even bigger mistake to just walk away from it. Besides, since when had he ever backed down from a challenge? He was hellbent and determined to make this work, if only because anyone else would have quit by now, claiming it was impossible. The stubborness inside him refused to let go simply over a few ill-placed explosives. The next time he saw her, they'd probably have to talk about it, but he'd make damned sure she knew he wasn't leaving anytime soon. He was in this, come hell or high water. Hopefully hell over high water. He'd gotten quite enough of that for one day!


	26. Chapter 26 MATURE

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of keeping my ass covered (cold breezes do NOT feel good), I'm gonna give this chapter a MATURE RATING. Did you notice the caps? They said MATURE RATING. There, now you can read on... if you want.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone was getting antsy. She never complained about it, but it was obvious from the way she'd clasp her hands or glance longingly at the stables. Dokugakuji could understand why. It'd been a week since their last run in with the Sanzo party and she hadn't gone out at all to see if Hakkai was okay. It'd bother him, too, if he were in her position. But with everything that had happened, she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon without a little pushing.

And, unfortunately, he was going to be the one to push.

Normally, he would have turned a blind eye to all this, but last night he'd gone to see Lixue (to talk... of course) and she'd mentioned something about going to Yaone's private laboratory to find her crying into the gunpowder. The look in his lover's silver eyes said loud and clear that she expected him to take care of it. Lixue didn't know what was going on, but women usually had a sixth sense on these things. It was one of the reasons he NEVER lied, especially to a woman. That was like asking someone to jam a hot poker in your ass.

Dokugakuji could see Yaone out in Rasetsunyo's garden (which Lixue had apparently protected while they were out), trying to get Lirin to focus on the lesson she was trying to teach. Gyokumen Koushu had all of the princess' tutors executed after her daughter had been turned into a test subject. Obviously, she felt she didn't need their services anymore. Sick bitch, using her own flesh and blood like that! It pissed him off no end to think what condition they'd found Lirin in. Yaone had been furious and went Protective Mama Bear on three of the scientists and six of the youkai guards. Those six guards were still in the infirmary and refused to let any of the femal healers near them. He was so proud of Yaone for that!

Sighing and pushing away from the wall, he went over to the two as Yaone continued to try and patiently explain the subject to Lirin.

"But... why do I care about sentence diagrams? All I gotta learn is how to say it, right?" Lirin insisted, nudging the caterpillar on her portable writing desk with her pencil.

Yaone rubbed her eyes, visibly trying not to lose her temper. Shit, Lirin was really pushing it today! "The reason you care, Lady Lirin, is because you don't form proper sentences as it is."

"Do so!" the princess fired back indignantly.

The older woman sighed, shaking her head. "Please, let's just get through this exercise. I promise once you start- what are you doing?"

"Drawing you a picture!"

"But art isn't taught on Thursdays..." It was too late. Lirin was already throwing herself into the... unusual picture she was creating.

Dokugakuji chuckled, still grinning when coppery brown eyes glared instant death in his direction. "Having fun?"

"So glad YOU'RE amused by this," she muttered. She looked paler than usual and hadn't bothered to pull her hair back that day. Dark circles were under her eyes, testifying to the fact that she hadn't been sleeping well.

"Listen, why don't you take off for a few days," he suggested slowly.

Her eyes narrowed and grew suspicious. "Why?"

Shrugging as casually as he could, he answered, "Well, it's been real stressful the past couple months. I'm planning on taking a few days off myself in the near future."

"I'm fine, Doku, really. Thank you for the concern."

"You suck at poker face, Yaone. At least go get some sleep. You look like someone punched you in both eyes."

She gave him another withering glare, crossing her arms under her breasts. "Thanks a lot," she muttered.

Dokugakuji put both hands on her shoulders and turned her to look at him. "Look, pack a few things, leave now and come back early Monday morning. No one's going anywhere while you're out."

"You can't guarantee that, Doku," she whispered, gently shrugging his hands off. "They can take anyone they want at anytime, you know that."

"Fine, I'm not gonna let them take anyone. And with Kou back, he'll destroy the whole damned castle to protect what's his. Just... you need this. You're no good to any of us when you're like this."

Yaone glanced over at Lirin, who was still scribbling away on her paper. Closing her eyes, obviously on the brink of grateful tears, she smiled and whispered, "Thank you, Doku."

He smiled back and shoved her toward the castle. "I'll think of something to tell Kou. You hurry and pack up, and I don't want to see you before Monday morning!"

She threw one last relieved smile over her shoulder before sprinting into the castle.

"Hey... where'd Yaone go?" Lirin asked, looking up and noticing her friend was gone.

Dokugakuji ruffled up her wavy hair, smiling wider when she grabbed his wrist, grinning. "Screw these lessons, let's go watch the soldiers practice!"

"YAY! Come on, come on, come on!" Lirin was practically skipping the entire way.

>>>>>>>>>>

"Please, I'm beggin you, in the name of all that is holy, can we PLEASE stop here for a couple days?" Gojyo begged.

Sanzo refused to even glance at him. He knew the kappa was having stomach issues, but he didn't care. He'd told Gojyo eating the two week old dried fish was a bad idea. No one ever listened to him... "We stopped for your sorry ass before, we're not doing it again."

"But Saaanzo... they're havin' a party! Can't we PLEEEEASE stay for the party?" Goku added, staring wistfully at all the paper lanterns being strung up.

"Trust me, Goku, the only one interested in THIS festival would be that red-headed pervert next to you," Sanzo ground out tightly. There was no way he was staying in this town for the goddess festival.

Gojyo grinned, eyebrow arching. "Yeah, that's right... almost forgot about that. In that case, you guys can go ahead, I'm staying here for the night!"

"Why? What's so special about today?" Hakkai asked, smiling at the group of girls who looked him up and down while giggling.

"O Exhaulted One, whose feast day does it happen to be?" the kappa asked in overly loud tones.

"It's going to be the day we celebrate your death if you don't shut up," he bit back out. He refused to say it, absolutely refused!

"What's this? Does the most holy of monks not know which goddess we pay tribute to today?" Gojyo continued to taunt.

Teeth so tightly clenched it hurt, he ground out, "P'an Chin-lien. Are you happy?" Damn him, implying he didn't know!

"Oh... dear God, are you serious?" Hakkai asked, turning red over his entire face and neck. The next girls that brushed up against him intentionally only made this blush worse.

"Um... who's that?" Goku asked, noticing how weird the women were acting now.

Chuckling, Gojyo answered him. "She's the goddess of brothels and dirty sex!"

"WHAT? Ew... there's actually a goddess of THAT?"

Gojyo was full out laughing now, clutching his sides. "Isn't it great? Those monks worship a goddess who watches over whores and sex! I love it!"

Sanzo brought the fan back without even turning around, back handing the red head as hard as he could. "I'll gladly leave your ass here with a few extra holes in it. Keep your perversions in check, got it?"

"I hate to say this, Sanzo but... we DO need supplies. And Hakuryuu's awfully tired," Hakkai cut in glumly.

Damn it! He had three very good reasons he didn't want to remain here. First, he was going to be hounded by the townspeople to chant for their whorehouses and for their virgin daughters and all that other bullshit. Second, little did they know this was one goddess the Buddhist monks had a tendency to ignore because she wasn't part of their specific faith. Third... he was experiencing sexual frustrations of his own, he didn't need to be surrounded by a whole town falling on each other in a massive group orgy. It didn't do anything to relieve the fact that he would probably be sleeping alone. Again.

Not that he blamed her. After all, they'd just had a fight, Kougaiji was still probably going through some issues. Yaone's first priority would be to her lord. Everything else was secondary, and that's what annoyed him. It wasn't the sex alone he was missing. He missed HER! It was so bad now he couldn't even pick up the sudoku puzzle in the paper without thinking about her. Goddamn it... If only he-

"Hello? Sanzo, anybody home?" He slapped Goku's hand away as the boy reached to feel his forehead.

"I'm not sick, dumb ass, I'm thinking!"

"Are ya thinkin' about food? Cuz you look reeeeally hungry." Goku gave him a big, innocent smile.

"Stop projecting on me, you damned monkey." He said this even as he was pulling the card from his robe and steering Goku through the crowds to the meatbun stand.

"YAY! MEATBUNS, MEATBUNS!" Goku was all but dancing in excitement.

"Hakkai."

"Yes?" the green-eyed man asked. It sounded almost like he was smug, but Sanzo wasn't turning around to find out.

"Get us four hotel rooms. I want mine preferably as far away from you three as possible."

"I never thought I'd say this but... THANK YOU," Gojyo shouted before he and Hakkai went ahead for rooms.

Sanzo ordered four meatbuns, dealt with the man behind to stall asking if he could spare five minutes to pray for his daughter's first P'an festival, before walking away even more frustrated and annoyed than before. The actual celebration day was on Friday, which was putting everyone in a good mood. That meant they would start precelebrations tonight and continue on until Sunday evening. Thank the gods they were leaving the next day.

"Hey, Sanzo?"

He glanced down at the soft inquirery from Goku, frowning when he noticed the uncertainty. "What?"

"Um... if I have to, can I come over and visit you tonight?"

What the... what kind of question was that? He shook his head, eyebrows furrowing. "What? Why the hell would you 'have to' come see me at all?"

"I dunno... but if I HAD TO..." Goku quickly shoved a meatbun into his mouth when Sanzo's glare turned even colder, averting his eyes glumly away.

Shit... the kid was trying to ask if he needed 'alone time' tonight. This was getting awkward. It was so much easier when Goku was younger and thought girls were gross. Now that he was growing up and starting to take interest, it was just weird. "I don't know," he answered honestly, hoping that would end the conversation.

"Oh. Well, when WILL you know? Cuz, I don't wanna get shot or yelled at if-,"

"Goku?"

"Yeah?"

"Do yourself a favor and shut up before I kill you right here." This was ridiculous! Goku was trying to plan around the possibility that he might get laid.

"Jeeze, I was only askin' a question! Ya don't have to bite my head off," Goku shouted.

"Just what the fuck is your problem, you damn ape?" Sanzo shouted back. He didn't care that they were being stared at, this had gone on long enough.

"I DON'T LIKE YOU HIDIN' SHIT FROM ME!" Goku screamed at him before running away.

Sanzo blinked, staring at the spot Goku had been in. What... just happened? This was almost as bizarre as the whole brothel incident, but on an entirely different level. Before he even knew what he was doing, he was shoving people aside, trying to run after Goku. The little shit...

_You're hiding from me... always hiding... why can't I know..._

Goku's myriad of emotions were almost overwhelming, but he didn't drop the connection. He needed it to track the little bastard down and put a bullet between his eyes! Sanzo continued to push through the people, shoving aside some tart trying to get him to stay. She yelped as she fell over, and he ignored the shouts from the guys behind him. He finally caught up with Goku, grabbing his arm and spinning him around.

Golden eyes were filled with anger, hurt and confusion, all of those things warring for dominance. "Listen, Goku, you need to tell me what that shit back there was!"

"That shit's none of your business," the boy snapped. "Why should I tell you anything when you don't tell me?"

"What am I not telling you?" His headache slammed back full force and it took all his willpower not to wince. Shit... this one hurt more than usual.

"I know you're seein' the same woman all the time! And I know Hakkai knows who it is!"

Sanzo went cold, stomach clenching. "Explain that." He thought Goku'd been asleep...

Goku wiped his nose, still battling back the outraged tears. "I woke up when you left th' room. And I followed you downstairs. I didn't hear everything, but Hakkai KNOWS. He KNOWS... and I don't! How come he gets to know everything and I don't? It's not FAIR!"

He'd been eavesdropping. He should have hit the brat in the head. He should have cussed him out until his ears bled. He should have done a lot of very painful things... but instead he tugged on thick brown hair, forcing the kid to look up at him.

"I didn't tell Hakkai anything. He figured it out. And I'm not telling you anything because it's none of your business. I've told you this before; what happens on my own time is my business. The same holds true for you. I don't give a shit what you do, but make sure you _want_ to do it. Do you get it now?"

Goku nodded, tears slipping free. "I know I'm bein' stupid but... I don't wanna lose you."

Sanzo sighed, releasing his hair slowly. "No chance of that, dumb ass. I'm stuck with you. Are you done now?"

He nodded, wiping his eyes on his snot covered sleeve. "Yeah. Sorry."

"Whatever. We're not having this conversation again though, is that clear?"

"Yes."

"Good. Come on, let's find the other morons in our group." Sanzo led the way and Goku followed close behind. The headache was still there, beating away behind his eyes painfully. That last outburst had been an unexpected aggravation. He understood where Goku was coming from, but this was his life and he owed no one an explaination for it, least of all the monkey. He doubted Goku truly understood that he wasn't hiding anything to hurt him. He was witholding for his own sense of privacy. Something that was getting harder and harder to maintain with these three idiots.

>>>>>>>>>>

The note had only one word on it and had obviously been scribbled hastily. Usually, Sanzo's handwriting was meticulous. 'Rankoupa' was all it said. She'd stopped just long enough to buy a map and see where Rankoupa was. Yaone had gotten lucky and picked up the paper trail again at the town closest to the western bank of the river. There were only two inns there, and she'd picked the correct one on the first try. Rankoupa was about a three day drive from Chuan San. Her luck had continued with exceptional wind currents and Sparky being unusually obedient, and was now circling the town an hour before midnight. Exellent timing considering she'd left at about eight in the morning. That left her all day Friday and Saturday, and most of the day Sunday to see Sanzo.

She was glad Dokugakuji had stepped in and forced her to go. It had been eating at her the entire week that she couldn't sneak out or find a plausible excuse to disappear for even a few hours. That was all she needed, really. Just long enough to assure herself Sanzo was alright and to beg forgiveness for nearly killing him. Great... this was going to be an interesting conversation. _I've missed you so much, and by the way, I'm sorry I almost blew you up._

She wouldn't blame him if he was furious with her. And, as much as it hurt her to think about it, she also didn't blame him if he told her to leave and never come back. After all, things were a hundred times more complicated now. They'd both proven their friends came before their relationship. How could anyone expect it to go on after that?

Yaone circled the area a little longer before finding a nice clearing in the thick desiduous growth surrounding the town. It was a nice change from the evergreens that had been in the mountain areas. The change in the scenery meant they were getting deeper and deeper into India. Closer to their goal and the end of their mission. She wondered what would happen then, assuming they were both still alive. Would they just say their farewells and walk away? Or would they try to continue over such a long distance? She shook her head, tethering Sparky securely to a thick tree near the water. No need to be thinking that far ahead. The present was complicated enough for now.

The hike to Rankoupa was easy enough, the trails very clearly marked and well traveled. As she got closer, she could hear the loud music more clearly, feel the pulsing of the deep taiko drums in the air. Wild shouts and whoops of laughter echoed out into the night. She froze when she heard crunching under foot and the unmistakable sounds of people in the woods. Yaone edged around the bend in the trail, gasping and quickly hurrying by, thankful the couple making love against one of the trees didn't seem to notice her.

Dear God, what was going on here? She could see people in the streets, dancing, having sex, getting drunk. It was like walking in on one of Gyokumen Koushu's private parties. She'd been ordered to attend once... and after that made damned sure she was elsewhere when the self-styled lady decided she wanted to throw more. Never in her entire life had she witnessed anything so carnal and base from the humans. She began to wonder how she was going to get through all these people without getting molested.

Taking a deep breath, Yaone plunged in, ignoring the men trying to get her attention, the hands to accidentally (and 'accidentally') came into contact with areas that weren't polite, and wincing as people stepped on her feet, gyrating madly to the heavy drums booming out. The night itself was relatively cool, but there were three bonfires going and people pressing in from all angles. She was sweating by the time she finally found a small spot that no one was occupying, scanning the area as best should could over jumping bodies and people being lifted over the crowds. Elbows caught her, couples crashed into her. She caught a glimpse of long, crimson hair, saw Gojyo practically getting mauled by a group of seven women. Surely he didn't plan to take them all to bed at ONE TIME!

Searching the area around Gojyo brought her attention to a table where Hakkai was sitting, chatting with three obviously enamoured women. Goku was standing nearby, blushing everytime he glanced at the pretty girl talking to him. Sanzo... wasn't with them. In a way, she was extremely relieved, but now she had the hassle of trying to figure out which hotel they were staying at. At least she didn't have to worry about drunken whores pawing at her lover.

Yaone scooched away from the woman who was shoved up against the wall next to her, moaning and panting as the man's hands disappeared up her skirt. "Good lord," she muttered. This was beyond insane! She had to get out of there now, whether by finding Sanzo or just leaving. The people were near riotous in their zeal, fights were already breaking out with the few authority figures she saw roaming around. Okay, think logically. Gojyo had a whole gaggle of admirers. He'd probably stay close to the hotel for ease of bringing them back to his room. So, using that train of thought...

There was a hotel about a block down on their side of the street. She could start there, assuming that Gojyo hadn't wandered very far. Yaone entered the throng again, glaring when a man tried to lift her up above the crowds, hands a little too low on her waist for comfort. He backed away, giving her a fierce scowl in return, which quickly faded when a bottled blonde threw herself drunkenly into his arms. Thank God for that! It felt like forever before she reached the hotel, stumbling through the door when someone shoved her. Yaone caught herself from falling completely, tripping hard into a person leaving the empty bar.

"Oh, I'm so... Sanzo!"

Sanzo looked as surprised as she'd ever seen him, hands resting lightly on her arms to keep her balanced. His gaze slid to the crowds outside before he guided her toward the stairs quickly. "Let's get out of here before Gojyo comes back," he said. "How the hell did you get through all that?"

"I-I don't really know. What's going on?" His hand was only on the small of her back, but it was enough to distract her thoughts, turning them to other things that made her cheeks flare up again.

"P'an Chin-lien's festival is tomorrow. She's the goddess of brothels and lasciviousness."

"WHAT?" There was such a goddess? He had to be joking!

"You heard me. Because it falls on a Friday this year, everyone and their goddamn cousin's decided on a three day perversion spree." He unlocked the door to his room, flicking the light on before shutting and locking it again. He walked right into her back when she stopped in her tracks, eyes wide in amazement.

"Wow... how did you get a room like this on such an... uh, auspicious occassion?" she asked, admiring the very elegant room, complete with a low table in front of the fireplace with silk cushions scattered around for seating and what looked from here to be a very spacious bathroom... and a small personl kitchen. Words like 'luxurious' and 'overwhelming' came to mind describing it. She ran a hand over the gold gilded elephant by the door before moving in further to examine the paintings, the curtains and even the hand painted tiles on the floor.

"I had to chant for four fucking hours straight," he replied.

She nodded, smiling a little at his annoyance. He'd been forced to play the role of a sanzo priest for the evening and he wasn't happy about it. She felt a little bad that she would soon be adding to his annoyance, but this was something they had to get out before moving on... possibly. "Sanzo, I think-,"

"Yes, we do."

Yaone looked back over her shoulder, lips slightly parted in shock. He lit a cigarette before removing the sutra and carefully rolling it up. The heavy vest came next before he was slipping the robes down, tucking them neatly into the tied belt. As always when she saw him in just the leather, it did wonders to improve her heart rate. Dear God... were monks really supposed to look like him? "Don't jump to conclusions." Violet eyes met hers, a golden brow arching upward. "You were going to say we need to talk, right?"

Yes, actually she was. Letting out a long breath, arms crossing over her stomach, she asked, "Is that alright?"

"It's fine. Have you eaten?"

She smiled as she went to sit down at the low table. Her stomach rolled as if on cue to the question. "Not since breakfast. But it can-,"

"Stay here." Yaone wanted to protest... but he'd already left. Sighing, she kicked her boots off, undoing the chain garters to pull her stockings down. He seemed to be in a fairly decent mood, all in all. Annoyed, yes, but it wasn't directed at her, which was surprising. She'd come here fully expecting him to tell her to leave, to go to hell... hell, even shoot at her! Now here he was getting her food and acting almost as if everything was normal.

The door opened several minutes later, Sanzo carrying a rather large plate covered in food and a bottle of wine in his other hand. She watched him balance everything carefully while he locked the door again, breath catching when it looked like maybe he might drop everything. He finally came back over, setting the plate and chopsticks onto the table. "Oh... I guess you weren't joking at all about the festival." Rabbit, oysters, scallops, asparagus... he'd even brought some chocolate covered cherries. Oh, dear...

He frowned, pouring wine into two glasses. "I wasn't joking at all. Why?"

"This... all of this. These foods are supposed to be natural aphrodisiacs." She'd spoken right as he'd taken a sip of the wine.

Sanzo about choked on his wine. "No shit," he coughed, looking at her plate like it was laced with poison.

Yaone laughed, stomach growling as the smell of the cold food hit her nose. She didn't really care that it was cold, she was just hungry, and tipped back one of the oysters, setting aside the shell neatly.

"So, I take it you want to talk about what happened," he said after waiting for her to get a few more bites in.

"Well, yes, partially. First, I'm just a little surprised you aren't more upset."

He gave her a scoffing look and said, "Why should I be? At the time, we were enemies. Besides, I was trying to kill you just as much as you were me. It evens out."

"And for that, I'm so sorry. I've... I've been worried about you this past week. Worried maybe I'd actually hit you, that maybe you had a fatal injury I hadn't seen..."

"No offence, but it'll take a hell of a lot more than what you can bring to kill me."

That last as nothing but empty arrogance. Sanzo knew as well as she did that if the bombs had hit just a little off, he would have died. There was almost no way to survive an explosion that occurs right on top of you. "Your aim was no better," she commented, pushing her short sleeve back enough to show him the tiny burned cut from his bullet. "Were you drunk when you fired that?"

"Go to hell," he muttered, eyes narrowing angrily even as he brushed gentle fingers over the skin surrounding the injury, being very careful not to actually touch it. "Does it hurt?"

"Not terribly, but it makes putting on a shirt difficult. The skin likes to catch on the fabric and cotton itches the burn around it." Yaone's breath caught when his hand moved to her cheek, pushing the braid that held the shorter layers of hair back behind her shoulder. She closed her eyes briefly, leaning into the caress. God... he needed to stop acting like everything was okay.

"Listen, I just want you to know, I don't give a shit about what happened. I'm still in this, so it's up to you whether or not you want to continue," Sanzo said, drawing her attention back to him.

"It doesn't... why doesn't it bother you? One of us could have died. You don't care about that?" She did. She cared very much that he could have been killed. But, she knew if he had a good reason not to be so worried about it, maybe everything would be alright.

Sanzo studied her face, eyes moving as if he was trying to memorize every detail. He had on the usual cold mask, the one that didn't let her in, kept everything he was feeling and thinking locked away. The only time it had ever come crashing down was when they'd had sex and he hadn't been able to maintain that cool facade. "I never said the fact that one of us could have died didn't bother me. All I'm saying is that it's behind me and I don't feel a need to keep picking at it. If there's something you think needs to be resolved still, then get it out now so we're not dealing with it later."

Yaone just stared at him after that outburst, chopsticks frozen half way between her plate and her mouth. Setting the food down, she placed her palms flat on the table, staring at them as she regained her composure. She'd always known Sanzo was a very intense person when it came to what he believed in... but she'd never expected anything like this! Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she said in a soft voice, "I see your point."

"But?"

"No 'but'. Just... I understand where you're coming from."

He was silent, waiting for her to formulate what exactly she wanted to say next. "I don't want this to end, Sanzo. But... I just don't see how we can make this work. We have conflicting responsibilities which are forcing us at each other's throats. How are we supposed to have a relationship based off of this?"

Sanzo stubbed out his cigarette and immediately lit another. She was starting to understand that he chain smoked when he was trying to think and allowed him this little luxury. "A friend said that if you want something badly enough, you'd find a way to make it work. You need to ask yourself how badly you want this. I've already told you I'm not backing away from what we have just because of a little fight."

"It was more than a little fight."

"Bullshit! It was a scuffle that ended in a draw."

"THAT'S bullshit! We kicked your ass!"

He waved her answer away dismissively, eyes sparking with the faint edge of contained anger. "Think what you like. What concerns us right now is how badly you want this. Is it worth it, to you, to keep going as things are? Is it worth the secrecy and the possibility that we might end up killing each other? If it's not, the door is right there. I'm not in this for the sex or friendship, or even for you. I'm here because this is what I want."

Again, all she could do was stare at him. He was being serious about this. If this ended tonight, it was going to be because of her, not him. He'd already accepted all the risks involved with continuing things as they were. He knew how dangerous this was, not only for her but for him... and he was still pushing forward with it. Heart speeding up a little, she reached across the table, palm up. He took her hand, fingers wrapping around hers. "I'm still in," she said.

"Are you sure? If this gets brought up again six months from now because it's still bothering you, I'm going to be pissed."

A smile twitched at her lips despite the fact she didn't think he was joking. "Six months from now? What makes you think we'll still be together then?'

His hand tightened around hers a little, drawing her gaze up to his, telling her he wasn't in the mood to joke around about this. "Well?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Sanzo nodded, the very faintest ghost of a smile to his lips. "Good. Finish up here, I'm going to bed."

Yaone stopped him from getting up, pulling him to her for a soft, lingering kiss. Hand still curled around his neck, fingers lost in soft golden hair, she drew back enough to whisper, "Thank you," before letting him go reluctantly.

All she got in response was, "Hurry up and eat. I'm fucking exhausted."

Yaone quickly ate what she could, grabbing her bag and heading for the bathroom. She'd come prepared for a fairly relaxed weekend this time, bringing along clothing that was more comfortable and less conspicuous than the leather fighting gear. She quickly changed into her pajamas, washed her face, brushed her teeth and hair, and made sure the light was off before she opened the door. Sanzo was probably asleep by now and she didn't want to wake him up.

She moved as quietly as she could over to the bed, smiling when she saw he'd left room for her on his left. It was his silent way of inviting her to snuggle... of course, he'd probably never use the word 'snuggle' to save his life, but ultimately that's what it was.

"What is it with you and staring at me?" he mumbled, eyes cracking open just enough for her to see the glare.

"Why do you always assume I'm staring at you?" she answered back, a smile breaking across her lips.

Sanzo's response was to give a half-hearted flick of the blankets for her to slip under. He was still wearing his jeans, but he'd taken the leather off while she'd been in the bathroom. As the covers were peeled back enough to show his naked upper body, she knew this time she was staring. "It's cold, hurry up," he said, breaking through the fuzzy thoughts circling her head.

Yaone tucked herself in next to him, one arm circling around his waist while the other curled under her own pillow. She closed her eyes, settling herself almost instantly, and was just about asleep when Sanzo's hand came around her waist, pulling her in closer. Her eyes opened briefly in surprise before she closed them again, smiling, and fell asleep.

>>>>>>>>>>

"YO, KAI! **HAKKAI!**"

Hakkai stood up on his chair, peering over the masses in the street and trying to pinpoint Gojyo's exact location. A shrill whistle pointed him in the right direction and it wasn't long after that he located crimson red hair standing at least a good half foot over most of the people around him. Jumping down from his chair and finishing his beer quickly, he tapped Goku on the shoulder to get the boy's attention away from the pretty girl he was talking to.

"Gojyo's calling me. Will you be alright here by yourself for a bit?" he asked over the noise.

"Yeah! Hakkai, this is... howdya say your name again?" Goku asked the girl.

The girl smiled, holding her hand out for Hakkai to shake. "It's Adonya," she said with a thick, foreign accent.

"Yeah, that's right! Sorry. Hakkai, this is Ad-on-ia," Goku pronounced the name very carefully just to make sure he didn't mess it up.

"A pleasure to meet you," Hakkai added politely. He could hear Gojyo shouting for him to 'haul ass' and was hoping Goku would make this introduction quick.

"Anyway, she's gonna be performin' tonight, but her brother's got a broken leg and her family's gonna need help with the stuff. They said fi I helped I could camp out with them. AND, they'd give me food! Can I please, Hakkai?"

"**HAKKAI? WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, TIBET?**"

Sighing, Hakkai glanced in Gojyo's direction then down the block to their inn. He knew Goku should really get Sanzo's permission for this... but the monk was probably trying to sleep through a splitting headache. He'd mentioned it once or twice during dinner, which meant it was worse than usual. Rubbing the back of his neck, he quickly made an executive decision. "We're leaving around noon tomorrow, so please be back before then. Sanzo will likely kill us both if you're not."

Goku's grin widened and he nodded once. "Thanks! Hurry up and go see what Gojyo's shoutin' about."

Hakkai pushed through the crowds, jumping and blushing when a couple of women got a little too... friendly. However, he would have prefered them over the few men who winked and blew kisses in his direction. Oh, dear...

When he finally made it to where Gojyo was, it was to find a small table set up in a ring of people. Gojyo had a woman on each arm and was shouting at the guy standing across from him.

"I'm tellin' you that he can out drink anybody you bring up!"

"Bullshit," the other man shouted back. Both were grinning, which meant it was more for show than an actual threat.

Gojyo slapped a wad of cash on the table, crimson eyes glinting with a challange. "I've got a hundred right here that says Hakkai can drink this bastard under the table."

Oh... that explained Gojyo's urgency in the matter. He took the empty chair at the table, smiling at the guy sitting across from him. The many easily had twice the body mass he did and was laughing.

"You're tellin' me this scrawny bitch of a guy is gonna out drink Hataru?" the man betting against Gojyo declared.

"That's exactly what I've been sayin' for the last fucking fifteen minutes, asswipe," Gojyo declared, winking quickly in Hakkai's direction. Hakkai didn't mind helping Gojyo with his scam. It meant free booze for him and money for Gojyo.

"Shit, this is gonna be easy! Line the shots up!"

Hakkai beckoned Gojyo down closer to him. Gojyo leaned forward, pushing his hair behind his ear. "Gojyo, I've been drinking all night. This guy looks like he hasn't touched a drop."

Gojyo paused a second before clapping a hand to his shoulder. "You'll do fine."

"But, Gojyo-," The shot was already put in front of him. Hakkai met his opponents eyes... and he shrugged. "Here goes nothing!" The first shot went down in a wild burst of cheers from the people around them.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone rolled over, shivering a little at the cool air touching her skin. She reached for the warmth of Sanzo's body... only to find the bed empty, his spot now cold. Sitting up, blinking sleepily, she scanned the room for him. "Sanzo?"

"Over here."

She stood up, wrapping the heavier blanket around herself, and went over to wear he was standing by the window. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing a light kiss to his bare shoulder. "You're freezing."

"Look who's talking. Your damn hands feel like ice."

"Sorry." She didn't remove them from his waist though. Yaone tried to keep as much of the blanket as she could around him as well. It wasn't good for him to be standing in a window half naked and cold. Yawning, she muttered, "What time is it?"

"Almost five in the morning," he answered, stubbing out the rest of his cigarette.

The festivities of the night before looked like they were just starting to wind down. The town was most likely going to be closed for the day what with the amount of alcohol consumed... as well as the 'need' to stay in bed. Speaking of which... "Come back to bed. Five hours isn't enough sleep."

Sanzo let her pull him back to bed, even though she knew he most likely wasn't going to fall back asleep. But at least he wasn't standing in the window any longer.

>>>>>>>>>>

Gojyo grunted as Hakkai stumbled so badly they fell into a wall. "Fucking son of a... you're heavier than you look, Kai!"

"Oh... sorry," Hakkai mumbled, staggering again. Shit, THIS was a first! Usually it was Hakkai helping Gojyo up the stairs. Now he knew how frustrating it was for the healer.

Turning to look slightly over Hakkai at the woman on his other side, he said, "Mei, you mind getting the room key from his front pocket?"

Mei's dark eyebrow quirked upward and a slow smile formed on her lips. "If you insist, love."

"Haha, very cute!" he replied sarcastically, even as his grin widened. Damn, was she a lusty one! He'd been watching her all night and knew she'd been watching him. It wasn't until the last hour of the drinking contest hat she'd come up and congradulated him by practically sucking his tongue down her throat. That was almost as good as seeing the big guy passed out drunk under the table. It had taken a shit load of alcohol and had gotten Hakkai good and wrecked, but it was still a beautiful sight.

"Unh... Gojyo... th' floor's all sway-y."

"Naw, that's just your head."

"Oh."

They finally got Hakkai up the stairs, Mei unlocking the door to his room while Gojyo struggled to support his near-dead weight. Shit, he was going to have such a fucking hangover when he woke up! Gojyo dumped Hakkai onto his bed, heard the muffled groan, and tossed Mei his room key. "Mine's about three doors down, to the right."

"I'll be waiting... eagerly," she called back.

Damn it... Gojyo sat Hakkai up again, pulling his tunic off as well as his under shirt. Best to take off both shirts in case he puked. Hakkai fell over as soon as the shirts were gone, squeezing his eyes shut even harder. Gojyo pulled off the bandana from his forehead, took Hakkai's monocle out of his own pocket, and put them on the table by the bed. "Hakkai, you gonna be okay?"

Hakkai made a vague hand gesture to indicate he was going to be okay... before promptly slipping off the bed onto the floor. "Unh... that hurt."

Gojyo ran fingers back through his tangled hair, watching with a quirked brow as the other man struggled with the slippery silk sheets to pull himself up. He'd never seen Hakkai completely obliterated, but now that he had it wasn't as amusing as he thought it would be. He looked wistfully at the door before his shoulders slumped in resigned defeat. "Aw, fuck... C'mon, Hakkai!" He yanked Hakkai up again, not bothering to be gentle about it, and dumped him back into the middle of the bed, making sure to put him on his stomach.

"God... my head..."

"Yeah, yeah. Just wait until morning before you start bitching about it. Kai... hey, buddy, listen for a sec. I'm gonna go thank the nice lady for helping us up those stairs, and then I'm gonna come back to make sure you don't drown in your own vomit."

"Mmm... don't care. You can let me die, go have fun with the lady."

Only Hakkai could be drunk and not slur his speech. It was disgusting. Gojyo secretly wished he COULD just leave Hakkai like this and get his rocks off with Mei. The gods knew he needed it something fierce. But, he knew if he did he'd be feeling guilty the whole damn time. Hakkai was always there to nurse him through the after effects. The least he could do was be there this one time for him.

"Just... shut up and stay there, okay? I'll be back." He quickly left the room and went to his, still in disbelief he was actually doing this. Mei was walking around the bed, running her fingers over the expensive sheets. Sanzo'd done his job (for a change) and in return they'd gotten rooms fit for kings. Too bad the very soft, very extravagant... VERY large... bed wasn't going to be seeing more action. It was enough to almost make him cry. "Listen, Mei, I don't think-,"

Mei smiled, coming over and kissing him hard. When she drew back, leaving him a little breathless and pleasantly surprised, she patted his ass and said, "Helping your friend when you could be getting your cherries sucked... that's incredibly sexy! I'll leave my address at the desk. If you're in the area a little later, come on in and I'll show you how sexy I think you are."

Gojyo stared after her for a second, warring between the voice screaming for him to stop her and fuck her right up against the wall, and the other one silently doing a stupid dance that he could always tap her a little later After all, Hakkai was going to be in no condition to drive for a while yet. And if he timed it just right, he could maybe get out of going shopping... which would mean Sanzo'd have to do it. It was the image of Sanzo lugging around bags of groceries that sealed it for him and sent him back to Hakkai's room. He grabbed all the cushions from around the little table and piled them on the floor at the foot of the bed for safety reasons. If Hakkai suddenly decided to be sick, the puke would be flying over the sides, not the foot... hopefully. Thankfully, though, he seemed to be out cold for now. Still muttering over the loss of Mei's hot ass in bed with him, Gojyo squirmed around until he found a fairly decent position to sleep in and closed his eyes. It wasn't that big a deal, just a few more hours to go before he'd get his sweet release. Besides, it wasn't like anyone else in their group was getting laid. Hakkai was dead to the world, Sanzo was too high and mighty for screwing, and Goku...

His eyes flew open at that. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the monkey all damn night. The last he'd seen, he was helping a real cute girl carry stuff from a show. That had been while he was hauling Hakkai's ass up the stairs. And Goku... was still not back. Could it really be that the kid...

Growling angrily, Gojyo smacked himself in the head at the idea that Goku might be out having sex and he was stuck here babysitting. "Aw, for fuck's sake!"

>>>>>>>>>>

He'd kinda known that Adonya wasn't just being nice to him, that she was flirting.

He'd also kinda known that she really wasn't gonna give him food as a thank you.

So... if he kinda knew all that, why was he kinda not-comfortable with the situation?

Goku was on his back in one of the tents Adonya's family stayed in, still trying to figure out what he was doing... and why when she was kissing him she put her tongue in his mouth. That was kinda weird. Nice, but... weird. And she was trying to figure out how to get his cape and shoulder guards off. He wasn't really sure he WANTED them off. "Hey... can we..." She wasn't listening to him. The more he tried to talk, the harder she kissed him. And the more she crammed her tongue in his mouth. He was starting to not really like that.

Part of him was really happy to be here. Part of him really liked the way her skirts were bunched up high on her thighs, exposing really soft skin that felt good under his finger tips. It liked the little sounds coming from her throat, the way her dark curls bobbed and danced... how her hips moved against his through his jeans. That part REALLY liked when she did that! But the other half was confused and not liking it at all. It felt wrong and gross and... like this wasn't what he wanted. It kept reminding him of what Sanzo had said, that he had to make sure this is what he wanted. Was it? What if half of him wanted it and the other half didn't? Did that count?

Adonya finally figured it out, making a happy noise at getting the heavy pieces off. Goku sat up when she tugged on his tunic, letting her pull it over his head since it meant he got a break from her tongue and lips. Yeah, he didn't like all that kissing too much. As soon as his tunic was off, she was pushing him down again, a little smile on her lips. Slowly, she undid the front of her dress, her smile widening as he looked down before he could stop himself. Goku was blushing really red, he could feel it but... he couldn't NOT look. He'd never really seen a girl's... those things... before. And all it did was make that one part say even louder that this was all totally wrong.

"You can touch them, you know. You don't have to stare," she whispered.

Swallowing heavily, he shook his head, hands tightening around her thighs a little. Legs were okay. He'd seen legs before. Like if Gojyo was wearing shorts in the summer, or they were fighting Yaone and Lirin. Everyone had legs. Not everyone had... those. Adonya giggled, leaning down over him to kiss him again, pressing her... pressing those against him so he could feel they were very soft through his shirt. The Happy Side really, REALLY liked that and was chanting over and over again to just reach up and feel them, see if they really were as soft as they appeared. His hands moved from her thighs as if on their own, up her waist, slowly to her ribs...

STOP IT! Remember what Gojyo said; if you can't say it, you shouldn't do it. And he couldn't even say WHAT they were that he was gonna be touching, so that meant he shouldn't be touching them. Goku stopped his hands just under her ribs before moving them around to her back. There, he could say back. He could touch her there. The sounds she was making got a little louder, her tongue a little more forceful and her hips... His body jerked, a sound of his own coming from his throat. That had felt good. Adonya seemed to know that and did it again, getting the same response. Maybe this WAS what he wanted...

Her tiny fingers pulled his shirt from his pants, moving up his chest, nails digging in a little too hard. That wasn't so good. Goku wanted to tell her that... but he couldn't when she kept kissing him! How was he supposed to say ANYTHING when he couldn't even get her tongue out of his mouth long enough to say it? She stopped on her own, though, fingers trailing lower and lower... and lower. Hey, she wasn't really gonna...

Goku jumped, shoving her off of him when one of her hands went somewhere it wasn't supposed to go. "I... I've gotta go! Um, bye!" He grabbed up the clothing she'd taken off and sprinted from the tent, tripping over some ropes lying on the ground and ignored her calling his name, telling him to stop. His cheeks were really red and he couldn't look at anyone as he ran from the camp and back into the sleepy town.

He didn't stop until he was in his own room, the door shut and locked behind him just in case Adonya followed him back. He slid down the door, panting and closed his eyes. What the hell was all that? All he'd wanted was something to eat... and he ended up almost having sex! How did THAT work out? Girls were weird...

Back still pressed to the door, Goku tucked his knees up to his chest, resting his head on his folded arms. He wanted to talk to someone. He wanted to know why that had happened, why she'd done that... and why it felt really good. He'd already seen Gojyo and some woman carrying Hakkai inside. So, Hakkai was out because he was drunk. And Gojyo and the woman were probably sleeping together, so he couldn't ask Gojyo. He REALLY wanted to ask Sanzo, but Sanzo was probably asleep and would be really angry if he was woken up for something like this.

Letting out a long breath, Goku continued to sit where he was, alone, confused and with a million questions that felt like they were never going to get answered. He was glad they'd be leaving this place very soon! Maybe once they were gone, things would return to normal.


	27. Chapter 27

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ugh... sorry this chapter took FOREVER to get done! Lots of real life crap, not to mention I had no idea where this chapter was going so it got rewritten almost four times. This has to be the longest chapter of nothing important happening ever written. Sorry, but the next one will be more entertaining, I promise!

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo got out of bed as quietly as possible, muscles stiff and eyes stinging a little from only three hours of sleep. Everything was still silent, especially for this late in the morning. Usually, there were people up by eight, but with the debachel of last night, everyone was most likely sleeping off all the booze and sex they'd taken in. And all because of the goddess of brothels. Goddess of brothels... how stupid!

(Meanwhile, in the heavens, a certain goddess of brothels is cursing out most fouly a certain blonde monk for his disrespect for her position... while a certain merciful goddess is laughing madly in the background.)

First things first for the wake up process; nicotine. Sanzo grabbed his smokes, stuck a cigarette between his lips, lit it up... and sucked down the relieving taste of tobacco in the morning. He went over to one of the windows, pushing it open a crack to let the smoke out. Yaone had woken up a couple times when he did and he didn't want to wake her up again now that she could sleep a bit. He felt a little guilty that he'd kept her up, but then again he hadn't made her sleep in the same bed to begin with.

And it wasn't like he didn't WANT to sleep anyway. It's just... he couldn't. Between the festivities outside, Gojyo and Hakkai making racket on their way up the stairs, and Goku's slightly disturbing thoughts pounding at the back of his head, he was lucky he got those three hours in. Speaking of Goku... he should check on the kid, make sure he didn't get himself into trouble. He'd woken up an hour or so after Yaone had dragged him back to bed, feeling a little... aroused. He didn't think much of it, seeing as he WAS sleeping next to his girlfriend (for some reason, the more he said it, the easier it came out... huh), but just as he'd been about to wake her up again he'd realized it wasn't his arousal he was dealing with. That was a very awkward realization, one he hoped to the gods would never be repeated, and also one he hoped didn't happen in reverse. Usually, the bond didn't work both ways, not unless Sanzo wanted it to. This was definately an occassion he hoped fell into the 'usually' category.

He was just about ready to block Goku's emotions out... when they went in the completely opposite direction from where they had been. Goku was suddenly scared, embarassed... and sad? The only true thoughts he could catch from the mess was not touching if he couldn't say it (whatever that meant), and how he was alone. It was the last that had kept him up until just about an hour ago when he'd been too tired to keep his eyes open much longer. Yaone had woken up then, too, curling her arm tighter around his waist to keep him from getting out of bed. But that last thought still stuck with him, even when he fell asleep. Goku felt alone. He hadn't heard that thought in years and it bothered him that it would come up again.

Sanzo flicked his cigarette out the open window, holding the last bit of blessed nicotine in his lungs for as long as he could before releasing it, pale grey in the muted sunlight coming from behind thick clouds. Not rain clouds yet, they wouldn't come until at least Sunday. Which meant they would either be stuck here another day... or they'd be stuck camping in the rain. That was an easy choice to make. Being stuck in a tent with three people he already wished he could kill on a rainy day was not good for anyone. Plus, shooting bullets in a tent was never a wise thing to do anyway.

Pushing away from the window ledge, he walked into the small personal kitchen and began poking around for the complimentary coffee he knew should be there. A coffee maker was set up in the corner, which meant there had to be coffee to go in it somewhere... now where the hell was it?

He stood up when a drawer closed from further down, looking up as a bleary eyed Yaone almost absently began filling the coffee pot with water. She still looked exhausted and almost as if this was all an automatic reflex. He leaned back against the counter, arms folded across his chest, and continued to watch her prepare the coffee, noting that she'd paused before adding the extra scoop to make it stronger. When it was done and the machine was gurgling with the first few drops of caffeine, she finally came over to him, yawning a little.

"Morning," she mumbled, leaning in against his shoulder when he uncrossed his arms, moving one to around her waist. She very lightly wrapped her arms around his, not really holding him but giving him a little more body contact.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked. Damn, he thought he'd been quiet...

"No."

She was lying. He could feel the little teasing smile against his shoulder. Son of a bitch! He knew he should have opened the window wider. "Go back to bed."

"Mm... didn't I say that to you earlier this morning?"

"I mean it." He didn't like feeling bad that he'd woken her up. If she went back to sleep, he wouldn't have to deal with it.

Yaone laughed, patting his stomach. An odd gesture... but then again, she was about half-dead to the world and therefore could be excused of any odd actions. The gods knew he wasn't exactly fully functioning first thing in the morning. "Are you coming with me?"

"No." He was up, he'd already had his morning cigarette. There was no way he could go back to sleep now.

"Then don't order me to do something you won't do yourself."

Sanzo glared after her as she let him go, wandering over to another cupboard to pull down two mugs. He had nothing better to say to that than, "Hmph, whatever." There was no faulting logic like that.

The coffee maker gave one final gurgle to let them know it was ready. Yaone poured out two cups, pushing one over to him. Dark and black, just as he liked it. It almost made him sick to watch her dump in the sugar and cream she took when drinking his type of coffee. Coffee was supposed to taste like it was. Adding anything to it to kill the taste was pointless.

"So, do you have any plans today?" she called as she took her coffee to the table in the other room.

"No." Fairly honest. He didn't have any real plans, but more than likely Hakkai would make plans that involved him. Unfortunately. Which reminded him... he needed to find a way to get out of grocery duty. He knew Hakkai was stone drunk last night and more than likely would have the mother of all hangovers this morning. Gojyo hated grocery shopping and would probably try to sneak out of it somehow. Everyone knew there was no way Goku could be trusted to shop alone. The one and only time they'd done that, the kid had spent a fortune on cotton candy and canned beans. NOT a good combination!

"Oh, before I forget, I meant to explain last night about my rude behavior from earlier."

Rude behavior, is that what she called it? He thought it bordered more closely on bitchy behavior, but kept his opinion to himself. He'd wait to hear what she had to say... and if her explaination sucked, THEN he'd let her know what he really thought. Sanzo finished off his coffee, pouring more automatically before joining her at the small table and dropping onto one of the cushions, readjusting his legs so that his back wasn't being strained too badly. Damn, why didn't these people believe in chairs? Once settled, he took a sip of coffee and said, "So, spill it. What did I supposedly do wrong?"

Yaone gave an embarassed little smile, studying her hands folded around the porcelain mug. "You were kind enough to inform me at gunpoint that you had nothing to say to a youkai."

Sanzo very nearly spit his coffee out. He did WHAT? What the hell kind of bullshit was that? He was pretty certain he'd never said anything even remotely close to that and, with the exception of the last fight, he'd never once aimed the gun in her direction. Not. Once. Eyes narrowing, he continued to sip his coffee in silence, waiting for her to finish explaining. This had better be good, because he was getting pretty pissed off about it.

Smile turning a little more amused, she finished her coffee and added, "Your twin wasn't exactly the nicest person in the world."

His twin- oh... Sanzo hid the twitch of lips by taking another sip of coffee. "What, you didn't like the doppelgangers?"

"No, not at all," she laughed. "Extremely poor taste. God, Sanzo, when I thought it was you saying that... I was torn between wishing you'd just pulled the trigger and wishing I'd had enough sense to slap you."

"It's your own damn fault for being upset," he commented, watching her reaction out of the corner of his eyes.

Immediately, the smile faded into a slightly outraged look. "_My_ fault? Excuse me, but-,"

"It didn't look a thing like me."

It took her a second longer to figure out he was joking before she rolled her eyes, giving him a mock glare. "You truly are an asshole."

"Please, like you didn't see that one coming!" He slipped his glasses on, unfolded the newspaper he'd left there from the night before, and flipped it neatly to the as yet unworked sudoku puzzle.

Yaone moved in closer, her breath touching the bare skin of his arm lightly, raising the hairs a bit. "I would have thought this would be done by now. You weren't saving it in case I came, were you?"

"Hardly!" It was more the fact that he couldn't do it without thinking about her and he hated that.

"I think this one should be a nine."

"Then this here... should be a two."

They continued on like this, sitting together and finishing the puzzle he'd not even glanced at the day before. At one point, her fingers had started toying with the ends of his hair, a light touch against the back of his neck that sent a little thrill down his spine. It was over too quickly for him, but seeing as it was only Thursday's puzzle it wasn't much of a challenge. Besides that, the mugs were empty and he wanted to get a shower in before the kappa and the monkey came looking for him. Stubbing out the cigarette he'd been smoking, he stood up, stretching his back out. Gods... if one thing didn't ache, it was another.

Yaone gathered up their mugs and the news paper, taking everything to the kitchen as he dug through his bag for shampoo, a tooth brush, tooth paste and a comb. "Do you mind if I use the shower after you?" she called as he disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door.

"Do whatever you want," Sanzo called back, quickly stripping off his remaining clothing and folding it by the door. He left everything except the shampoo on the counter top, turning the water on so hot that instant steam filled the large room. The shower was separate from a tub that was easily four times bigger than he'd ever need, even if he were to put on about a hundred pounds, and had a sliding glass door instead of a plastic curtain. Nice. Plastic curtains were a pain in the ass.

He'd just got in and was soaking his hair when a knock came to the bathroom door, followed by it cracking open just a bit. "May I come in? I'm not trying to be rude, but it would be much quicker if we shared the bathroom space."

"I'm not sharing the shower." This was his time to relax and let the hot water do it's work, he wasn't sharing it with anyone, even if he was sleeping with them.

"I would never presume. Is that a yes?"

"That's a yes."

Yaone slipped in, shutting the door behind her to keep anymore of the steam from escaping. She was true to her word and set about brushing her teeth while he finished his shower, standing a little longer under the burning heat and letting it beat against his skin. It hurt a little, but it felt good at the same time. After a few minutes of the slightly painful massage, he stepped out of the stream, hand poised over the handles to the shower. "Do you want this left on?"

"Oh, that would be great, thank you!" While he'd been washing up, Yaone had stripped down and was now wearing a towel wrapped awkwardly over her breasts. While nice to look at, he could imagine they were a pain in the ass to live with. He opened the far door, hand snaking out to grab a towel from the rack. He did a quick towel dry of his hair and face before wrapping the towel around his waist and getting out.

Yaone waited for him to step away, eyes lowered and cheeks just a little pink, a tiny smile curving her lips. It was useless to pretend innnocence, he'd seen her glancing at him through the fogged up mirror several times. As much as he would complain about her gaping at him, it was a little flattering.

"Do you think there's anywhere open in town today?" she called, jumping a little at the hot water hitting her before reaching through the stream to turn it down a little.

Sanzo combed through his hair carefully before shaking it out again so that it wouldn't dry flat and fixed in place. "Most likely not, considering the insanity of the night before. What do I care, I'm not going shopping for supplies."

"Oh?"

"The minute I step foot outside I'm going to get bombarded with people begging for blessings and I'll be stuck chanting for another four hours. I don't feel like dealing with that shit." He ended the conversation by brushing his teeth, glaring through the hazy glass when she dared to chuckle. Let her get swarmed by the masses sometime, see how much fun it was! Chanting didn't make a person more fertile or more lusty. That was all biology, not divinity, and completely not his field of study.

The shower went off and a couple minutes passed before Yaone finally came out, towel clinging and separating from her in places. Without her dark hair framing her face, it drew attention to her wide eyes, not quite a plain brown but not quite an exotic copper either. He rinsed his mouth out, watching with some amusement as she struggled to keep the towel around her body while grabbing another one for her long hair. She finally succeeded in it, but not before almost dropping the towel twice and exposing a good expanse of leg and thigh to his view, and solidified his resolve not to do the shopping. All he really needed to get were cigarettes. If he was quick, he could just grab those and be back before anyone was the wiser.

"I was thinking, Sanzo," Yaone called after him as he grabbed his clothing off the bathroom floor, shutting the door to give her a little privacy, and went back into the bedroom. "About cooking tonight, if that's alright with you. That way you don't have to get mobbed by ordering out."

"Fine by me." He was actually hoping she was going to offer to cook, just for that very reason. "Anything specific you-," He froze when he heard scuffling in the hall way, followed by two very familiar shouts. Oh, fuck...

"GET OFF ME, YA COCKROACH-PERVERT!"

"EAT MY SHIT, YA DAMN MONKEY!"

There was a crashing thud against his door and Sanzo quickly pulled on clean boxers and his spare jeans, barely getting them fastened before he was reaching for his gun. Not now... if they came in now they'd be lucky to die! His gaze flickered to the bathroom door, stomach knotted as another thud came from the hall way. Shit, they were coming in one way or another. Damn it, think faster!

"I WANNA SEE SANZO!"

"YOU'RE GONNA HELP ME WITH THE FUCKING GROCERIES, AND THAT'S THAT!"

Sanzo took aim... and the door burst open, very nearly being ripped from it's hinges as Goku and Gojyo fell into his room, the red head riding the boy to the ground and headlocking him in a heart beat. That dumb fucking... why did Goku fall for the same fucking trick every time? "You two really must have a death wish," he snarled before firing off three rounds, missing them by mere inches. Warning shots first, real ones later if they didn't move their asses.

"AAAHHH! Sanzo, you almost shot me," Goku hollered, shoving so hard against Gojyo to get away that he hit a vital area and sent the kappa keeling over, grabbing his crotch.

"Owww... fuuuck! I'm gonna fucking beat you... as soon as the pain stops," Gojyo groaned, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

This wasn't good, not in the least. Yaone was thankfully being dead quiet in the bathroom, but he knew these two idiots and knew they'd most likely want to compare his room with the ones they got. "I've got plenty of bullets, so unless you don't want to- HEY! JUST WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"WOW! Gojyo, check out the view from here! How'dja get such a nice room, Sanzo?" Goku called from where he was leaning out over one of the windows.

"Get, Out. NOW!"

"Holy shit... that bed is HUGE! I thought mine was big, but goddamn! What the hell does a monk need an orgy-sized bed for anyway?" Gojyo commented, sitting on the bed.

Sanzo was about to go smack him one... when Goku went running for the bathroom. "You little shit, get the fuck out of my room NOW!"

"I just wanna... what the hell!"

Sanzo was so torn between almost blind fury and being so anxious he thought he'd puke that he didn't even notice Gojyo getting off the bed until he was well passed him and heading for the bathroom.

Gojyo followed Goku in, letting out a small laugh. "Well... this is a pleasant surprise," the red head drawled, voice bouncing back off the tiled surfaces.

Dear gods... he could just hear it now. All the little comments, the endless jokes he'd have to put up with... Of course, if he killed them now, he wouldn't have to suffer through it. Hakkai would understand why. Hell, he might even thank him for it! Taking a deep breath, hand tightening around his gun, he followed them in, ready for either a confrontation or a murder. "If you two even THINK about-," He cut himself off when he saw what had captivated them.

Goku and Gojyo were both sitting in the spacious tub, fully clothed and with no water in it. And Yaone was nowhere in sight. What the hell? Where the fuck could she have hidden in here? "Man... I could easily get four or five ladies in this baby," Gojyo commented, grinning at Goku's wrinkled nose.

"Ew! Figures you'd think somethin' like that," Goku shouted back.

"So, being a monk DOES have it's benefits. Yo, Sanzo, got room at that temple of yours for one more heathen searching for enlightenment?"

Sanzo's response was to click the safety off. "You want enlightenment, consider this. I'm armed and pissed off, and you're sitting there in my line of sight." The gun burst was an explosion of sound that actually made his ears ring. Tiles chipped and splintered down over their heads, covering them both in a fine mist of white powder. Goku was quick to scramble out of the tub and behind the toilet as much as he could, but Gojyo took his time, lighting a cigarette before sitting up on the tub edge.

"Learn to relax a bit, monk," Gojyo sneered as he swung his long legs back over the side. "And, dude, if you layed off the tofu, you wouldn't have to leave the fucking window open in here!"

Leave the window...? Sanzo's eyes narrowed as he looked at the wide open window. He then noticed the towels sitting on the counter top, covering a hair brush and an extra tooth brush. So... she'd climbed out the window. Smart woman. Returning his attention back to the gloating red head, he felt his lips twist into a sneer of his own. "The only thing that's going to be smelling the place up is your rotting corpse, you fucking idiot!" The next round of shots just barely missed the top of Gojyo's head.

"HOLY SHIT!" This time, both Gojyo and Goku went running from the room, Sanzo right behind them. He paused only long enough to search his bag for more bullets before he was moving for the door.

"KEEP YOUR ASSES OUT OF MY ROOM," he shouted after them, sending a couple more warning shots down the hall.

Hakkai's door popped open and the man stepped out, a slightly lopsided smile plastered to his face. Sanzo's eyes narrowed further when he noticed Hakkai was using the doorframe to keep himself propped in place. And that his green eyes were swimming in a sea of bloodshot red. Shit, the bastard was either still drunk or extremely hungover. Neither one boded well for any of them.

"What the... Kai, you're not hungover?" Gojyo exclaimed, blinking at his friend with wide crimson eyes.

"No, no, believe me, I'm so hungover I could vomit on the floor and not think twice about it," Hakkai replied with that cold cheerfulness that was always unnerving. Creepy bastard... "And that's why I came to offer some friendly advice. It might be wise to cut out the shouting, fighting and shooting for today. I'm afraid I'm really not in the mood to deal with it."

Goku licked his lips nervously, still cowering a little behind Gojyo. "But... but you've never said anything before! An' you look just fine to me!"

If anything, the friendly smile got even more malicious. "Well, before today, Goku, I didn't have a headache that feels like my entire skull is about to explode to pieces, now did I? So perhaps logic would dictate that maybe today should be spent in absolute silence. I'd be very upset if I were forced to take drastic measures just for a little peace and quiet. Oh, and before I forget, I'm afraid I won't be doing any grocery shopping today. Sanzo, that means you have to go with them."

"The hell I will!" The nerve of him to suggest that! There was no way he was spending his entire fucking day with those two, wandering around and trying to keep them from drooling on all the food and women!

"I seem to recall a time we lived for a week off cotton candy and canned beans. It would be in your best interest to ensure that doesn't get repeated."

His teeth ground together in silent rage. He hated when Hakkai's ruthless side came out to play. The man had a very good point, that those two really couldn't be trusted to take a shit correctly. Damn it all to hell! "Fine, whatever! Get a move on, you two!"

"Why should we when you're not even dressed?" Gojyo argued. "Unless you plan on strutting around like a holy whore..." His voice trailed off when more than one deadly glare was turned in his direction. Grinning nervously and edging away from Hakkai a little, he added quickly, "Yeah, we'll meet you downstairs." He grabbed Goku by the shirt and hauled him down the stairs quickly.

Hakkai sighed gratefully, leaning even further against the doorframe and closing his eyes. "Sanzo?"

"What?"

"If _she_ happens to be here, may I please impose on her for a headache remedy?"

"Maybe. Depends on what kind of moon I'M in when I return. And also on if I can find her."

The other man chuckled lightly before wincing in pain. "I'd appreciate if you could ask. I've never felt anything like this before."

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Just a little."

As he turned to go back and finish putting his clothing on, he said over his shoulder, "I'll think about it, but you deserve every last shred of pain for sticking me with grocery duty with the Idiot Twins."

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Hakkai replied with a little chuckle before disappearing into his own room.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone had heard the fight in the hallway through the tiled walls and the closed door. Oh, shit! She'd quickly dressed, practically cramming her feet into the sandals without lacing them up. Her wet hair smacked against her back, soaking into the cotton of her long shirt and making it stick to her back. The first thud against the outer door made her jump as she fished her limiters out of her pocket and forced them onto her wrist. The window... that was the quickest exit. Slinging her belt over her shoulder, she pryed the lock open, slid the glass up and swung leaned out over the side to see how far up she was. The second floor... she could jump that easily. Her feet hit the pavement just as the first gunshot echoed from the room, followed by muted shouting and in general sounds of chaos. Dear God, he might actually kill them this time!

She stayed tucked behind the trash dumpster just long enough to tie her sandals up her leg a bit, pulling the loose pants down over the top. The thin straps to her shirt kept slipping down a little and her hair was still extremely wet. She rung out as much moisture as she could before swinging the mass back over her shoulder. Judging from the shouts, Gojyo and Goku were now in the bathroom. Another gunshot followed by the obvious sound of cermaic breaking confirmed that. Just in case those two needed to make a quick escape from an enraged Sanzo, it was probably not in her best interest to stay where she was.

Checking to make sure the explosives were still in place, as well as her money situation, Yaone fixed the belt around her hips and stepped out into the fairly busy street, shielding her eyes against sunglare. The hotel was quiet, which meant the fighting had stopped. That either meant the two were dead or all three of them would be coming down shortly to shop for supplies. Looking up either side of the street, Yaone crossed quickly and made way for the apothecary shop almost diagonally from the hotel. Well, seeing as she was currently kicked out of the hotel, she might as well put her exile to use and get a few necessary items. Like some more penny royal. She had enough blue cohosh for the contraceptive tea, but without the other ingredient it was useless.

"Hello, dear, what can I get for you today?" asked the older woman at the counter. She was sitting on a stool and twisting together garlic bulbs into strands to hang in the back and dry.

Yaone continued to scan the shelves of dried and fresh plants, ground powders and oddly shaped roots. It was actually a very impressive selection, not at all what she'd been expecting from a town like this. "I'm looking for penny royal if you have it," she answered, stopping when she noticed a jar of ground cumin. There was a good chance that if Sanzo had never tried saffron before, he hadn't tasted cumin either. That would be good rubbed over tofu... and there was lemongrass just a couple shelves away. That with a little soy sauce and vegetables over rice... or noodles.

"Ah... it's nice to see there's still some women out there trying to be careful," the old woman chuckled, pushing to her feet. Her joints creaked audibly as she shuffled around into the back room. "I haven't gotten much call for that, all these girls now trying to get pregnant at fourteen. I remember back in my day if a gentleman so much as touched your hand he was flogged within an inch of his life. And this festival isn't exactly helping these girls keep their legs closed. Why, in my day, we didn't have all these..."

The woman continued to talk on and on about how things were different and eventually, Yaone tuned her out, thoroughly happy to explore the shelves and jars while she waited. And she was still talking as Yaone added her other purchases on the counter and pulled out her small wallet. She dug through, pulling out a little money and quickly doing the math in her head. There wouldn't be enough to get everything she wanted, but maybe she could raid the kitchen at the inn a little later...

It was the lack of chatter that made her look up at the patiently waiting woman. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked how old your boyfriend is, that's all dear," the old woman chuckled, wrapping everything before placing the items into a small paper bag.

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend," she replied quickly, laying out the necessary amount.

The woman's smile faded a little, eyes hardening. "I see... so, you're a working girl, then?"

Yaone blinked, mouth opening and closing a couple times before a nervous laugh broke from her throat. "No, not like that. I'm seeing someone but... well, he's not my boyfriend, and it's a little complicated."

"Uh-huh. If you need anything in the near future, I suggest going up the block and across the street. HE services girls of your... nature."

Blushing furiously, Yaone snatched her bag and mumbled a quick 'thank you' before leaving the shop, hair hiding her face. Dear God, did she LOOK like a prostitute or something? She hadn't thought so when she'd left Houtu Castle. Compared to what other women were wearing, her clothing was damned decent. The streets were only a little crowded, not enough that she could completely blend in, so she kept a watch out for red hair and her ears open for shouts of food or gunshots as she pressed onward, determined to try and at least get some vegetables.

As the sun moved higher into the sky, bringing with it and almost boiling heat, her stomach growled a little as finally the food stands opened up for business. She bought a skewer of steamed dumplings, hoping the meager offering would keep her stomach settled until dinner time. Already there were couples wandering around, holding hands and stopping to share kisses that were a little too passionate for public display. It made her a little glad her lover wasn't exactly overly affectionate. She smiled to herself, cheeks warming a little when she flashed back to the tantalizing glimpses of skin through the shower steam. Sanzo had to know she'd been glancing at him the entire time. It wasn't like she was trying to be subtle or anything.

Who would have ever thought that such a cold, arrogant person could be so... so... what? Yaone slowed down as she entered the market district, scanning through the fruits, vegetables, slabs of freshly slaughtered meat and seafood. The air smelled heavily of thick blood and ripe fruit and of stale alcohol from the night before. She waved off the people trying to sell trinkets to 'increase the hidden lust within', stopping at a stall selling produce that looked fairly decent. And cheap. Celery, onion, mushrooms, water chestnuts... and were those blood oranges? She added a few of those as well, even though they would probably set her over limit. Maybe she could negotiate around that.

"All set, miss?" the man asked, his mustache drooping a little in the heat.

"I think so," she answered, handing the bag over for him to add up. She pulled out her wallet, waiting with what she hoped was a polite smile.

"That'll be... thirty-three dollars," he announced with an equally polite smile.

Yaone pretended shock at the price, even though she knew it was fairly reasonable for the items. "How much?"

The man repeated the price, crossing his arms over his chest, eyes glinting. He was preparing himself to haggle. "What's the matter, can't afford it?"

"Of course I can't! That's absurdly expensive! What could have cost so much?" As if she didn't know...

"The blood oranges were almost six a piece. That's what."

"WHAT?" Six... was a little more than she'd been expecting. Her shock was completely real when he stated that, and she quickly used that to her advantage. "You're charging SIX DOLLARS for those things? Not even four stalls away, I saw a woman selling them for four!"

The man scuffed his toe in the dirt, arms still crossed. "I can guarantee mine are a better quality than any you might find elsewhere. Our trees were shipped in direct from the source and are kept in a hand designed indoor orchard, perfectly climated to suite the fruits. You'll not find another farmer who can say the same."

"And I won't find another one over charging for a measley piece of fruit either," she added forcefully. It'd been years since she'd haggled with vendors, and she'd almost forgotten how much fun it could be. Houtu Castle received regular shipments from the lands surrounding it, there was no need for shopping when all she had to do was tell Lord Kougaiji what she needed or wanted.

He leaned forward, dark eyes glinting. She couldn't tell if he was annoyed or amused, but either one would be fine with her. "Look, thirty-three's not making me much of a profit here. Only reason I'm offering that is because you're not a bad wench to look at. So, you can take my offer or- Master Sanzo! W-What a surprise! I, uh..." The change in the man was almost immediate. One minute, he was ready for a fight, the next he was pale-faced and groveling.

A flash of gold came from beside her. "Just put it on this."

"O-Of course, Master Sanzo! I'm sorry, I had no idea this woman was your... your..."

"Personal cook." Yaone whipped around at that, glaring into arrogant violet eyes. The bastard...

"Yes. Yes, please forgive me. Here, please, allow me to give you some of our famous plums as well. And, if you have five minutes, please, Master Sanzo, my wife and I would be most honored if you would-,"

Sanzo's glare snapped back around on the babbling merchant. "I don't have five minutes, and I doubt whatever you were going to ask would take five minutes anyway. Do you have everything?"

It took Yaone a second to realize he was addressing her. She was just as floored as the man behind the stall by the almost rude response. Nodding, she gathered her bags up as Sanzo took the card back from the still gaping man, tucking it back into his robe before steering her away with a firm grip on her upper arm. Once they were out of ear shot, she said softly, "I'm sorry, I thought I was a little more hidden than that."

"We just happened to be in the same area," Sanzo answered back, letting go of her arm after they were a good distance from the stand.

"Where are Gojyo and Goku?"

"Fighting at the meatbun stand, where else?"

Yaone smiled and smothered back a chuckle at the obvious irritation that question had brought to the surface. "Well, thank you for coming over. You didn't have to though."

He lit a cigarette before replying, smoke laced with the grumbled reply. "Whatever. I had to talk to you anyway. The window's still open, but you don't need to hurry back. We've got almost another two hours of shopping to go." That was said with a tic twitching above his eye. Obviously Goku and Gojyo were rubbing his very last nerve raw. "Also... do you have anything for a hangover?"

She frowned, studying him more closely. He hadn't been drinking the night before... as far as she knew. And he'd gotten up just fine. Plus, she hadn't tasted alcohol on him when she'd kissed him either. There was only one person in their group who could possibly need relief from a hangover... "You seriously want me to mix something up for Gojyo?"

Sanzo blinked, eyebrows drawn in a confused line. "Gojyo? Why the hell would I give something to Gojyo? It's for Hakkai"

"Hakkai?" Hakkai had a hangover? That... didn't seem likely. Hakkai wasn't the type to drink excessively.

Rolling his eyes and letting out a stream of smoke, he muttered, "Yes, and no thanks to him we're stuck in this place for another night."

Yaone resisted the urge to laugh, settling on a smile and a slight nudge of her elbow. "As if you weren't planning on staying anyway."

His response was a scoffing sound and twitch of lips. "Well?"

Adjusting her bags, she said, "That depends on a couple things. Is he sick?"

"Not as far as I know."

"Still intoxcated in any way?"

"Didn't seem like it."

She nodded, pushing her now dry hair back over her shoulder. "Willow bark tea for the headache, mix in a little scullcap to get the toxins out, and just a small amount of kava or valerian to relax him should do it."

Sanzo arched one brow, folding his arms across his chest again. "You honestly expect me to remember all that?" he demanded.

Sighing, she pushed her purchases onto him, catching him off guard and feeling a little proud at the surprised look on his face as he quickly scrambled to balance everything. Yaone pulled out a small pencil and note pad from the pouch on her belt and wrote down exactly what he needed, complete with mixing directions and exact doses. She took the bags back and handed him the paper. "There, now you won't forget. Please excuse your 'personal cook', she has a few things she needs to take care of still." She started to walk away, still smiling.

"Hey."

Yaone turned back, waiting for him to flick his cigarette away and get in the final word.

"I could have always said you were a slave."

That arrogant... Yaone gave his satisfied smirk one final mock-glare before continuing on. She stopped at only a couple more places, one of them a liquor store for some plum wine, before heading back to the alley between the hotel and the bakery next door. The climb back up was a little harder, seeing as she had containers that could break if she threw the bags in first. Luckily, the dumpster had a lid that flipped closed and, while distasteful and disgusting, it proved useful in boosting her up and over. By then, her stomach was churning hungrily and the sun was just beginning to set. The cleaning people had already come and straightened the bed out, not to mention they cleaned the mess in the bathroom from the bullets.

Once everything was inside, she went through the bags and pulled out what she needed for dinner. Only about another hour before Sanzo would be back. That gave her just enough time to get the prep work done and maybe start the onions carmelizing. Pulling out the biggest knife from the block, Yaone smiled as she gave the onions a savage whack.

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku was the happiest he'd been in days! The sun was out, he'd won every fight with Gojyo for the food... and Sanzo'd spent the whole day with him. That hadn't happened in ages, Maybe after dinner they could all play mahjong together. That would just make everything so much... his nose twitched as an aroma caught his interest. Smelled like... onions. And garlic. And... was that beef? Licking his lips, he pushed by Sanzo and Gojyo on the stairs, following the scent. Hakkai was cooking, he was sure of it!

"Hey! You fucking brat, you almost shoved me over," Gojyo shouted, pounding up the stairs after him. Both had groceries in their arms since Sanzo refused to carry any, so all they could do was start a kicking fight.

"Back off, Gojyo! I just wanna see what Hakkai's cookin'," Goku shouted, landing a hard kick to Gojyo's shin.

"You little cock sucking... that hurt!" Gojyo kicked hard back, making Goku yelp.

"OW! OWOWOW! Stop it, Gojyo!"

"YOU stop it!"

A bullet lodged itself between them, sinking into the wood of the wall. Both turned wide, round eyes on Sanzo, who still had the gun pointed in their direction. "How about I stop it for you?"

"Uh... hehe... that's okay," Goku laughed nervously before stepping away from Sanzo. Why was he so grumpy again? Well, not that he wasn't always grumpy, but he'd been fine out shopping. Maybe it was because he didn't get a meatbun. That would make HIM grumpy, too.

"Y-Yeah, really, no need," Gojyo added quickly.

"You sure? I certainly don't mind."

"We're sure, uh... hey, let's go see how Hakkai's doing!" Gojyo grabbed Goku and they ran for Hakkai's room.

Hakkai had been sprawled on his bed with a book over his face, but as soon as they burst in, he picked his head up sharply, wincing before dropping it back on the pillows. "Oh... I thought I heard a gun go off," he mumbled.

Gojyo scowled before dropping all their groceries in the kitchen and slapping Goku's hand out of the bag of hard candies. Goku scowled and waited until the red-head's back was turned before sneaking one anyway. What didn't the kappa understand about him being HUUUUNGRY?

"Here, with love from the pissy priest," Gojyo called, tossing a wrapped package onto Hakkai's stomach. Sanzo had stopped off at some weird herby place and picked up a whole mess of stuff for Hakkai's hangover... which Goku STILL couldn't believe he had!

Hakkai opened the package, read the instructions and gave a very weak smile. "Aw, how sweet of him! And it's not even our anniversary."

"Haha, cute. So, what is all this shit?"

"Well, kava's a sedative, so it's probably to resettle my nerves. Willow bark tea's good for headaches. And this... um... oh, this must be scullcap. I don't know what that does."

"Huh?" Gojyo pulled his hair back with a band, giving Hakkai a puzzled look. "But... why would you tell Sanzo to get something if you don't know what it does?"

Yeah... that was really weird. Sanzo had said Hakkai told him to get the stuff on the list. It'd made sense that Hakkai knew all that stuff. Hakkai knew everything.

Giving a short laugh and managing to sit up without swaying too much, the green-eyed man said, "Well, I got the recipe from a book, but it didn't really say what the scullcap was for."

Gojyo lit a cigarette, eyes narrowed as Hakkai found the kitchen light, wincing as the yellowness hit his eyes. "Kai?"

"Hm?"

"If we were playing BS, I'd call you on that."

"Then you'd have a whole pile of cards, Gojyo." Hakkai deftly plucked the bag of candy away and stuck it on top of the fridge where Goku couldn't reach it. No matter, he had his pockets full of... "And empty your pockets, Goku. We don't want to spoil your dinner."

"Aw, man," Goku groaned. How did Hakkai DO that? And when has having candy before dinner EVER spoiled his apetite? He did as Hakkai said though and handed over all the candy in his pockets, glaring when it was deposited on top of the fridge as well. Stupid Hakkai... he didn't even LIKE candy! Why did he get to be in charge of passing it out?

"If you say so," Gojyo drawled, getting up and coming to the kitchen.

"I do, and no smoking in the kitchen. I'll tolerate it anywhere but here."

"Damn, get that shit in your system ASAP, you're starting to act like the monk!"

Hakkai laughed and started the dented and banged up tea kettle they had before filling the small tea basket with the different things. Goku wandered over to the stove to snitch some of what Hakkai was cooking. He couldn't say snitching dinner would spoil his dinner, could he? He stopped when he noticed there were no pots, no onions, no garlic... and worst of all, no beef! What... then what had smelled so good from the hallway? "Hey, Hakkai, where's dinner?"

Hakkai gave Goku a startled, wide-eyed look. "You must be joking, Goku! I haven't exactly been in the right condition for cooking anything. I was thinking we should maybe go out tonight. Or order in."

Huh? But... but he KNEW he'd smelled something yummy! And Hakkai was to only one of them that could cook. So, if he wasn't and none of them were then who was?

"I'm all for going out," Gojyo supported quickly. "There's this place down the road from here that has some of the finest looking breasts I've ever seen!"

"Gojyo, we're NOT eating at a strip club!"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Hakkai, I was talking about chicken breasts!"

"Now, that's BS if ever I heard it."

The two continued to joke around as Goku slipped away, unnoticed, and snuck back into the hall, his stomach twisting in worry-knots. None of them were cooking. Sanzo never cooked. He knew all that. The delicious smell of oranges and beef hit his nose as soon as he was in the hall, and he followed it right to it's source, right to... Sanzo's room. But, Sanzo'd been with them all day. He couldn't cook food AND be shopping at the same time! So how could he...

Goku froze when he heard a woman laugh. HER again! How the hell was she keeping up with them? All those fights and nights camping and Hakkai getting them lost... and she STILL managed to get there at the same time as them! How did she do it? Goku's fists balled up angrily when he heard Sanzo's voice through the door, obviously talking to her. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair that SHE cooked dinner for Sanzo when they were all supposed to go out together! It just wasn't...

He lifted his fist, determined to get this all over and done with. He'd find out who this woman was and why she was so special and why she was cooking for Sanzo. He'd find out right now. He started to bring his fist down against the door...

"Goku? What are you doing?" Hakkai's voice made him whip around, a guilty blush coming to his face.

"Um... I thought we were all gonna go out, so I was gonna get Sanzo," he lied quickly.

Hakkai's green eyes narrowed and grew slightly darker. "I think maybe Sanzo's had enough of us for one day, don't you Goku?" It was a question, but it wasn't said like one. Hakkai was basically ordering him to leave Sanzo alone, and he didn't like that. But, he didn't like Scary Hakkai even more.

Swallowing, Goku nodded and trudged over to him. Gojyo was already downstairs and chatting with the girl at the desk. He pushed in front of Hakkai and started walking down to join the kappa, sad that he'd been caught. Why was it such a big deal? Goku glanced back when Hakkai put a hand on his shoulder.

"And please, don't lie to me again."

SHIT! How did he DO that? Swallowing again passed the lump in his throat, Goku offered a shaky, apologetic smile. "Yeah. Sorry."

Hakkai smiled back, giving his shoulder a polite squeeze. "So, do you want seafood, chicken, pork, vegetables... what?"

Grinning at the thought of food, Goku laughed and said, "All of it!"

>>>>>>>>>>

Damn it... where the hell did she go? Kougaiji stormed out of the darkened explosives laboratory, fingers closed tightly into fists to keep them from shaking a little. He'd been looking for Yaone since yesterday afternoon, as soon as Lirin had mentioned she'd run off during their lessons. Dokugakuji was conveniently missing as well, though he knew the swordsman was still in the Castle. He'd caught a glimpse of the big man by the training fields, but by the time he'd gotten there to inquire about Yaone, Dokugakuji was gone.

This was so frustrating! Why couldn't he just go up to her and tell her how he felt? Why couldn't he just grab her, kiss her, and get it out of his system? It wasn't such an extraordinarily difficult thing to do. Hell, he'd done MUCH harder things under Gyokumen Koushu's orders! This was something he wanted to do for himself... and he couldn't. Why?

Kougaiji braced himself for Lirin to pounce on him from behind. The girl made way too much noise for her 'sneak attacks'. Three, two, one...

"BIIIIIG BROOOOTHER!"

Arms locked around his neck, legs around his waist. Kougaiji quickly pushed aside his romantic frustrations, giving his sister a mock scowl. "Next time, try not to breathe so loudly, Lirin."

"Wha... HA! You didn't know it was me! If ya did, ya would've dodged or somethin'! HAHA, I got you, brother!" The arms tightened around his neck a little painfully, but he took a grip on her legs anyway, carrying her down the hall on his back still. This was completely inappropriate behavior, especially for royalty... but with Lirin, it was very difficult to stay angry or annoyed. "Hey, Kougaiji?"

"What?"

"Why're you sad?" Lirin plopped her head on his shoulder, straining to try and see his face.

Kougaiji lifted a brow, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "Do I look sad to you?"

"Yes! Very sad. Almost as sad as me when I went to get Sparky and he was missin'!"

That earned her his full attention. "Your dragon's gone?" There was only one other person in Houtu Castle that would take Sparky from his pen. And that person happened to be missing.

Lirin nodded, green eyes drooping sadly. "Yeah. I haven't played with him in a long time. I was gonna take him and go find that blad monk... but no Sparky! And Amrad won't tell me who took him, either!"

Amrad, the dragon master, kept a meticulous log on who took what dragon and where. Either Yaone had bribed him... or timed it just right that he didn't notice. Which meant she didn't want anyone knowing where she went. Kougaiji thought back to another conversation from months ago, something Lirin had said about Yaone and Hakkai being a good couple. Surely she wasn't still seeing HIM? Yaone prefered Hakkai... over him? It was a difficult thing for him to comprehend. He wasn't being arrogant about it, by any means. Hakkai was a good enough man but... he seemed so _boring_. Why would Yaone want someone dull?

"Hey, Kougaiji? Remember when we used to go runnin' up and down the halls like this?"

He knew where this train of thought was going, unfortunately. "Yes, but Lirin, we're a little too old to-,"

"Pleeeeease?" she begged, giving him the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster.

Damn. She knew he was a sucker for that look. Sighing, he adjusted his grip on her legs. "Ready? Hold on..."

Lirin whooped loudly in delight as he took of running down the hall way, her still clinging to his back. She was a lot heavier than when they used to do this as children, but her laughter was keeping him from finding Hakkai and castrating him slowly. He needed to stay calm about this, get a little more information. After all, it was Yaone's life, she could see whoever she wanted. Just... not Hakkai. He would wait until he managed to corner Dokugakuji and get some facts from him. Then, and only then, would he decide what to do!


	28. Chapter 28 MATURE

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey... just me. Yeah. Oh, why am I bothering to write an AU? Haha... so sorry, forgot there was a purpose to this. Um... yeah. Well, the chapter here, which you are about to read, can be considered MATURE. As in, the minute you start reading, it's gonna be MATURE. And, on another note, I'd like to say a happy belated birthday to Ver-chan, who has been reading this for sometime. I'm sorry I didn't get this chapter done sooner, but it's massive in comparison to the other chapters. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY DEAR! This angsty, sexy, emotional chapter is just for you!

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"I'm not doing this!"

"Why, haven't you ever done it before?"

"No, and I'm not about to start now."

Yaone arched a brow challengingly... and handed the dish towel to Sanzo, who took it automatically. He gave the green and white plaid piece of fabric the most burning glare she'd ever seen, holding it as if it was a viscious animal. "It's only fair you help clean up since I cooked the dinner."

"This is bullshit," he muttered, rolling the sleeves back to the light blue shirt even as he complained. "This better not become a routine every time you cook!"

"If you don't want to clean up, you can cook next time."

"Like hell!"

Laughing at his obvious irritation, she stopped running the water into the sink before leaning closer and kissing his cheek. "You're so cute when you're angry."

"Piss off!" Sanzo stepped back so she couldn't kiss him again.

"And so articulate as well."

The small vein in his forehead looked ready to explode any minute. "Ever here of 'house keeping'? It's _their_ job to do this."

"Fine, I'll do it. It's just extremely rude to let the food crust over on the plates. Just put the dish towel over there, please." She gave him a sweet smile and shrugged as he practically threw the towel onto the counter top. "I just figured it would go faster with two people doing the work. Forgive me for suggesting it."

Sanzo walked away and Yaone looked over her shoulder to see him lighting a cigarette. She could tell by how stiff his back was that he was still very annoyed, and possibly even feeling a little guilty that she was there doing the work by herself. At least, she HOPED he was. Normally, she didn't like guilt tripping people, but Sanzo holding a dish towel and DRYING the dishes was a picture too funny to pass up.

It took a few more minutes before he came back over, cursing under his breath. By then, she had the dishes all in the strainer and was reaching for the towel. "You're a pain in the ass," he commented as he dried the plates, handing them off for her to put away.

"I'm sorry I called you cute," she teased, grinning when she saw him cringe at the word.

"I'm not cute."

She secretly thought he was when he acted like this, but refrained from saying so. He was drying the dishes, and that was all she'd wanted for the time being. And... it was just as amusing as she'd thought it would be. The only thing that would have made the picture more perfect was if he were wearing his robes. THAT would have been extremely memorable! A chuckle burst out before she could stop herself.

"What's so funny?" Sanzo asked, handing her the last cup before tossing the towel back down, rubbing his hand against his jeans as if trying to get the feel of it off him.

"Nothing," she said quickly, unplugging the sink. She wrunk the wash cloth out before stretching it across the counter top to dry.

"We're ordering out tomorrow."

Yaone looked over when he came to lean against the counter beside her, a smile spreading across her lips. "Oh, are we?"

Sanzo nodded once difinitively. "With disposable plates."

She laughed, moving closer when he uncrossed his arms, switching his cigarette to the hand furthest from her. One of his subtle invitations for body contact. He was getting better at letting her touch him, but whether it was because they'd had sex or because he was getting more comfortable with her, she didn't know. She put her head on his shoulder, working her hand up his untucked shirt to his skin, tracing her fingers along the muscles in his abs. Not necessarily a sexual gesture, but the possibility of it turning in that direction was still there. His free hand curved around her back, bringing her just a bit closer than she already was before moving downward to her hip, stopping there.

Wild shouts broke from outside as the revelers came back for night two of the festivities. Yaone took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the drums began to start again, pounding so hard she could almost feel it through the walls and in her chest. Cigarettes, clean laundry and that scent that was uniquely him filled her senses, made her fingers slide a little further up his shirt, pausing just over the steady drumming of his heart. She smiled when she felt him kiss her cheek lightly before trailing lower, his lips barely touching her skin at all. Both of his hands were free now, maneuvering her in front of him, rubbing her lower back. She kissed the bend in his neck through the fabric, enjoying the familiar light-headed feeling that came whenever she was this close to him as she pulled her hand out from inside his shirt, stepping back just enough to start unbuttoning it slowly.

Sanzo's hands remained on her waist, holding her loosely, as he watched her continue to unbutton his shirt, pushing the halves aside when she was done to trace her claws as carefully as possible against his skin, starting from the low waist of his jeans where she could just see his hips, up along his abdomen, glancing up with a little smile when his stomach muscles jumped from the light contact, higher to his chest where she purposely sought out the sensitive areas, making him suck his breath in harshly, before finally moving to his neck, circling her arms around him and pulling a little to get him to lean forward and kiss her. Not that he needed much encouraging, he'd already started to move toward her.

The kiss was slow and almost what she would call gentle, but very thorough, his tongue brushing through her mouth and across her tongue almost teasingly. Her fingers wound through his hair, tilting his head a little, before moving across his shoulders, pushing the shirt off and onto the counter behind him. Yaone smiled against his lips when his fingers ran across her stomach, gathering the tunic material as he went, fingers brushing against her sides. It made her squirm a little, fighting the tickling sensation. If she laughed, the moment would be ruined, and she certainly didn't want that!

"What?" he asked, drawing back a little, eyes darkening with growing passion. A slight flush was to his pale cheeks and his chest was rising and falling a bit faster than before.

"Just wondering... Do you want to get out of the kitchen?"

Sanzo gave her a wry expression. "No, I want to fuck you right here on the damn counter," he replied sarcastically.

Yaone laughed, fingers moving down his chest to his jeans, flicking the button open casually. "Well, if you really _want_ to-,"

"Don't play dumb, and start moving."

"You suck at flirting."

"Wasn't aware I needed to flirt to get you in bed."

She feigned an indignant glare, even as she did what he asked, moving back toward the bed while she finished what he'd started, pulling her shirt over her head and dropping it onto the rug below. Arching a brow as he remained in the kitchen, she asked, "Are you coming or what?"

Sanzo pushed away from the counter, his shirt hitting the floor. "Are you going to finish getting undressed?"

Yaone's smile widened, fingers slowly working the drawstring tie to her pants. Yes, he REALLY needed to work on the flirting thing!

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Gojyo's eyes roamed the crowded restaurant, searching out the women in the room. He could have sworn he saw Mei stroll in. If he could find her, it would save him precious time that would be otherwise wasted seducing a new chick. Mei was already seduced, all that stood between him and a good lay was the foreplay portion of the evening. Which was not at all a bad thing!

"Gojyo, do you want another beer?" Hakkai asked, draining his off. How the bastard could drink again after being bombed the night before was beyond him.

Gojyo stared at his empty mug and shrugged. "Yeah, why not? Here, I've got this round." He handed Hakkai enough cash for two more beers and a tip, leaning back in his chair to try and see the brunette heading for the bathroom a little better. From this angle, she almost looked like Mei, but he couldn't be certain until she came back out.

"Hey, Gojyo?" Goku asked softly, staring at the soft shell crabs still sitting on his plate, untouched. Usually the kid was all over the seafood.

Frowning, he sat up straighter, noticing a hardness to Goku's eyes that was a little... uncool. It was like he was staring into the eyes of someone a lot older. Damn, the monkey'd grown up a lot since he first met him. Just a scrawny thing with a stomach really. And, while Goku was still a scrawny thing with a stomach, he could see the change in those golden eyes at times. A darkness or a curtain or something that wasn't there in the kid he'd first met. "Yeah?" he drawled, lighting a cigarette.

"I wanna date women."

Gojyo choked on the inhale, spluttering out a burning wash of smoke that made his eyes sting. What the FUCK was that? "Sorry... what'd you just say?" he managed to get out, thumping himself hard on the chest and sniffling a little.

Goku's lips thinned down into a stubborn line, eyebrows coming together firmly over resolute golden eyes. "I wanna learn how to date so I can have sex!"

A glass shattered to the ground, earning stares from surrounding tables. Gojyo jumped as cold beer splashed up from the floor to hit his leg. "Goddamn it... thanks a lot, Hakkai!"

"Forgive me, Gojyo. I... Goku, did you just say 'sex'?" Hakkai was clearing the glass up very methodically, not looking at either of them. Gojyo didn't need to see the quiet man's face to know he was probably as crimson as his hair.

"Uh... yeah, I guess I did," Goku said, blinking and looking mildly surprised himself. The amazement disappeared in an almost proud smile. "Hey, I said sex! Gojyo, didja hear me? I said sex!" As he spoke, his voice got increasingly louder and louder.

"Yeah, I heard you, and so did every other poor soul in this room! Shut the fuck up, monkey!" Gojyo stubbed out his cigarette and immediately lit another one. Unbelievable! The kid actually said 'sex' without pinking up. What the fuck was this world coming to? People were still glancing at them. most were grinning, but there were a few he could tell were mouthing the word 'queer' around. Son of a bitch! He sunk lower in his chair, eyes roaming around to see how many hot women heard that... and met a pair of familiar brown eyes. Mei winked from the end of the bar, grinning. Oh, good! She seemed to be laughing at the situation. Maybe his chances of getting laid weren't shot straight to hell after all.

Hakkai finished cleaning up the mess, holding bits of glass in beer soaked cloth napkins. "I'm going to get two more beers, and then we're going to discuss this in a civilized manner," he stated before moving back up to the bar.

Goku groaned, slouching down in his chair and looking incredibly disappointed. "Aw, man! That just means we're gonna talk about me dating an' Hakkai's gonna say he doesn't think it's a good idea an' then you'll say somethin' stupid an' we'll fight an'-,"

"Whoa, whoa, hold it, kid!" Gojyo interupted, letting out a long stream of smoke. "Stop skipping ahead to breakfast when we're still eating dinner!"

"Huh?"

"Meaning, shut the fuck up for two seconds so we can talk. Hakkai's gonna be stuck at the bar for a few minutes, so let's get this out quickly. First, where the hell did this come from?"

"Um... I don't really know. I guess because you always go on dates, an' you're not stupid enough to do something that's not good for yourself."

"You got that straight!"

"Also," Goku continued, pausing to chew on her lower lip while he thought about what he was going to say next. "I guess because I don't understand why Sanzo likes them so much. I mean, I know WHY, an' I'm not sayin' that I wanna do THAT with Sanzo, but... I just don't get it. Ya know what I mean?"

Gojyo nodded, exhaling again, and scratched his head. "Yeah, I get it. You feel like the tart he happens to be banging right now is taking your spot in his life. Am I right?"

Goku's eyes brightened slowly at that, a small grin and a chuckle coming from him. "Yeah. Yeah, that's right. See, Hakkai only says I'm bein' childish an' Sanzo doesn't wanna talk about it anymore. That's why I wanted to ask you. Wow, who woulda thought a perverted cockroach got it?"

"You little shit! I'm TRYING to be nice for a change. Don't go biting the hand that's feeding you. No pun intended."

"Hahaha! Hey, Gojyo, can I tell you a secret?"

Smirking, Gojyo leaned closer, crossing his fingers behind his back. This was gonna be good. "Shoot, kid."

"I think it's the same woman," Goku whispered.

The red head sat back, tapping his lower lip. "You do, huh? Not possible."

"What, how come?" Goku demanded, eyes narrowing.

Shrugging, Gojyo smiled at the brush of slender fingers across his shoulder from a blonde and shook his head. From what he saw, Mei was alone, so he didn't want to start working on someone until he'd had a chance to talk to her. A dare, yes, because if she said no he'd have wasted more time, but he liked the odds and he'd stick to them. "Think about it, monkey. The monk's been getting bouncy for some time now. I'd say... maybe a few months. That's when he really started locking himself away or going out... or buying new clothes. And think about all the shit that's gone down over the last few months. Now, I can tell you from experience that no fine looking woman would ever travel like that just to have sex with a monk, no matter how pretty he may think he is. And, if there WAS a woman crazy enough to do that, don't you think I would've found her already?"

"I guess so. And you're wrong, you know."

Gojyo's eyebrows shot nearly to his hairline. "You, the one with no dating experience at all, are telling me I'm wrong about this? Go play in traffic, shit-for-brains!"

Goku kicked him under the table, the angry pout returning to his face. "No, not about that! About women not traveling like we do. Lirin and Yaone do it all the time, and they're both pretty. Well, Lirin's stupid an' gross an' she hogs all the food, but Yaone's pretty."

"Aw, sounds like somebody has a crush on the... hey, wait a second!" Gojyo sat up completely, jaw dropped as he pushed his long hair back. Realization suddenly bitch slapped him across the face, and now that the idea was there he couldn't get it out. It made perfect sense... yeah... HOLY SHIT! "Dude, I'm gonna change my answer. I think you could be right, Goku. It's the same chick."

"Huh, you do? Why? What changed your mind? Tell me!"

It was too perfect. She had access to the dragons, which could get her wherever they were fast. She always seemed to find them in the middle of nowhere... and she wasn't at the last fight when she should have been. Dokugakuji and Yaone would have said something if she was sick. Which meant she'd sat it out so she didn't have to fight her boyfriend. "Fuck me, but I think the monk's going for jailbait! I think... I think maybe Sanzo's screwing Lirin."

"WHAT?" Goku demanded, nearly falling over in his chair. "No way! No way in hell, nu-uh, never! Sanzo'd never wanna be alone with HER!"

"Think about it, kid. Point one, she's pretty damned good at tracking us down. Point two, every time she DOES find us, she goes straight for the blonde. Obviously, she doesn't know red head's are more fun, but that's beside the point. Point three, she's always sneaking off anyway, Yaone said that back during the Homura shit." Goku flinched at the mention of the god's name, but didn't say anything. "Point four, her dragon's bigger than ours, and faster, too. Point five, she's a pretty tough cookie, she could hack the travel and fights. And point six, she's crazy enough to even WANNA go near the homicidal bastard!"

Goku was silent for a long time after that, but it was obviously because he was still processing it. After a couple of false starts where his mouth opened, shut, then opened again, he said softly, "I dunno. I mean, he says he HATES Lirin. Why'd he have sex with someone he hates?"

"Could be for a couple reasons. Maybe he's just saying that to cover his tracks."

"Yeah, but that's a lie and Sanzo doesn't lie."

Gojyo nodded, giving the kid that point. "Okay, then maybe he really does hate her. You don't have to love someone to sleep with them, Goku. Let's get that out in the open right now because, if you go into some lovely's bed of course you're gonna love her for the two minutes it takes to do the job. Not that _I_ take two minutes, mind you." He definately didn't want the kid thinking that! "But just don't go falling IN LOVE with the first pair of thighs you crawl between, okay?"

"EW! That's so gross! You didn't have to say it like that! And all I asked was how do I date girls."

Hakkai chose that time to wander back over with the beers and very nearly dropped them again at that outburst. "I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked, shaking his hand free of the beer that sloshed over. Gojyo chuckled and took a healthy swig of his beer, glancing up when a waitress brought over a shot of vodka. "Hey, I didn't order this," he said, stopping her before she could go. She was alright looking, a little too butch for his taste, but she had a nice smile.

"Compliments of the lady at the bar," she said, flashing that smile at him and pointing in Mei's direction. Gojyo smiled over at the gorgeous woman before raising the shot glass in her direction and downing it. And it wasn't cheap shit either judging from the taste. Nice and smooth with the excellent after kick that made him shiver. Very nice.

"Goku, why on earth do you want to date anyway?" Hakkai asked, taking his monocle off to rub his eyes wearily.

"Why's it such a big deal?" Goku exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table. "I just wanna know, okay?"

Both of the other two were taken back by the outburst. Gojyo's eyes narrowed as he watched Goku let out a huff of breath. Yeah, he could actually see it now. The lines to Goku's face were changing slightly. And he HAD put on a little more muscle to his bony frame. Goku was definately growing up, and that goddamn monk didn't even notice it. He'd talked to Hakkai to talk to Sanzo about it later. Right now, the kid needed someone to help him through this stage in life. And he was just the kappa for the job.

Stubbing out his cigarette, Gojyo nudged Goku with his foot under the table. "First thing's first. Pick a target."

"Gojyo!" Hakkai exclaimed, jaw dropping. "You can't be serious about this!"

"The hell I'm not. If it means not having a cranky monkey as well as a cranky priest, then I'm all for getting the kid his first date. So, have you picked the lucky lady yet?" If he even glanced at Mei, the kid was gonna be holding his rocks and singing soprano.

"Um... what about her?" Goku asked, pointing to a cute blonde at the bar.

Gojyo shrugged, grinning as Hakkai covered his face in his hands. "You tell me. What about her? She's cute as hell, yeah, but what else?" He knew Hakkai had noticed as well, but he'd expected that. Hakkai was very observant. Goku wasn't.

"She... has potstickers?" Goku asked, confused.

Hakkai burst out laughing before swigging back some beer. "Yes, she does, Goku. But what Gojyo's asking is-,"

Gojyo waved Hakkai silent. "Dude, who's teaching here, me or you?"

The green-eyed man motioned for him to continue uninterpted.

Settling back into teaching mode again, Gojyo shrugged and said. "Sure, for the sake of your education, let's just go with 'she has potstickers'. So, she's cute and she has potstickers. Now what should you do?"

"Maybe... go talk to her?" Goku questioned hesitantly.

"Good answer." He waited as Goku continued to grin, pleased he'd given the right answer. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

"What the hell are you sitting here for? Aren't you gonna talk to her?"

"Right NOW?"

"No, next fucking week, genius. YES right now!" Gojyo kicked Goku under the chair, grinning at the angry glare shot at him.

Pushing his chair back with a loud scrape, Goku stomped over to the blonde at the bar.

"Gojyo, I don't like this at all," Hakkai murmured, turning to watch the exchange.

Gojyo grinned and shrugged. "It's a good lesson. First, the only way to learn is the hard way. Second, it's gonna be funny as hell!"

"You're sense of humor is just as warped as your teaching methods." Hakkai turned away from the immenent disaster being played out, shaking his head and sipping his beer. "I don't suppose begging you as a friend would do much good, would it?"

Gojyo's grin faded from his cheeks. Hakkai REALLY wasn't happy about this. Sighing, Gojyo stood up and moved in to save the chimp from the face slap he was definately going for.

"What the hell do you mean, 'let's date so we can have sex'?" the girl demanded angrily. The man next to her, who happened to be wearing a matching ring as her, spit his beer out and whipped around on Goku.

"You little cocksucking, muthafuc-,"

Gojyo slung his arm over Goku's shoulders, drawing startled golden eyes to his. "Sorry about that, folks. Kid just had a birthday, thought he could hang out at the adult table, y'know what I mean?" He mimed drinking alcohol, winking in a friendly manner.

"He just said he wanted to fuck my wife," the man snarled.

"Yeah, and he also said that to the lamp post, the table, our straight friend at the table and the bath tub at the hotel we started at. Cut the kid a little slack, first time ever being wasted."

Slowly, the man began to relax, his glare going from murderous to angry. "Just keep him the fuck away from us, got it?"

Waving casually over his shoulder and steering Goku back to the table firmly, he forced the kid back into his seat before resuming his, shaking his head and lighting a cigarette. "You're lucky Hakkai loves ya, monkey. If it weren't for him getting sulky, I would've watched her slap you across the face. What in the gods' names possessed you to go up and say 'let's have sex'?"

"I was just bein' honest," Goku muttered.

"Look, there's a difference between being honest and being suave. Being honest would be going up to that ugly chick right there and saying, 'goddamn, you're ugly'. Being suave is, 'you have really cute ears'."

Hakkai burst out laughing at that. "Cute ears? Is that all you can find to compliment?"

Gojyo motioned toward the woman in question, blowing out an angry stream of air. "Dude, LOOK at her! That's about all there's worth checking out!"

"That's horrible, Gojyo! And, Goku, pay no attention to him. There's more to women than just physical beauty. I'm sure she's got a lovely personality."

Goku looked skeptically at the girl, who was now visciously shoving people aside to get to the bar. "Um... if you say so, Hakkai," he mumbled, returning his dejected gaze to the table top.

Gojyo winced and let out a hiss of pain as Hakkai kicked him hard under the table, green eyes hard and stern. The look clearly said, 'you better make that boy smile in the next ten minutes, or you're seriously going to get hurt'. He didn't like Hakkai giving him that look. Unlike with the monk, it was never an idle threat with Hakkai. Sighing, Gojyo stood up again. "Yo, monkey! Go back to the hotel with Hakkai and get prettied up. You've got twenty minutes."

"Huh? Why?" Goku demanded even as he did as he was told.

"Because I'm gonna get you a date. You, too, Hakkai."

"What? Don't be ridiculous, Gojyo!" Hakkai exclaimed, eyes widening and getting a little nervous.

Giving him a smile of pure evil intent, he replied, "I'm spending the time I could be using in bed with one or more ladies to teach Goku how to date. If I've gotta suffer, so do you. Now, go make yourselves look more indecent while I talk to a friend about getting a couple more friends." He walked off, ignoring Hakkai's pleas for him to stop. Maybe this would be good for more than just Goku. Maybe forcing Hakkai back into the dating world would help him move on easier. He didn't expect his friend to ever forget the woman he still woke up calling for, but maybe being with another woman in a nonsexual way would stop him dwelling on it. He'd gotten worse over the last month or so, ever since Sanzo started sleeping around.

Honestly, the thought of Sanzo getting laid made him wanna puke! Who the fuck would be crazy enough to touch the bitter monk? Crazy... hehe. Yeah, Lirin was definately crazy enough to do it. Ever since she'd first tried to fight them, she'd always flung herself on Sanzo. And, most of the time, he tolerated it. If that didn't scream relationship, he didn't know what did!

Mei's smile widened as he came over, turning in her bar stool and crossing one long leg over her knee... and revealing that the slit in her skirt went a good way up. "Hey, gorgeous," she said, twirling her necklace chain around her finger idly.

Leaning forward enough that his hand just skimmed along her knee, Gojyo didn't even pretend to hide the fact that he was staring at her breasts... and could tell she was wearing a red lace bra. Nice. Dark haired chicks always looked good in red. "Damn, I was gonna say the same to you," he replied with a mock pout.

Laughing, she leaned in closer, now letting him see the bra tied in front with a black silk ribbon. Hot damn! He shifted a little, glad he'd gone with the looser jeans for the evening. Didn't need the tools of his trade getting damaged by a zipper or tight crease. "Didn't I say I'd have to show you how sexy I think you are?" she purred, running a nail down his chest, all the way down to his belt before slipping between his jeans and the leather, tugging lightly.

Gojyo shrugged, running a hand up her thigh and back down again. "Yeah, you said something about that. I was wondering though... how you feel about a little company before the show begins?"

Mei arched a brow, a knowing little smile coming to her lips. "For your friends, right? That little one almost got his rocks knocked off."

Chuckling, Gojyo moved in to run his lips along her cheek, slipping back and a little lower to nuzzle her ear. "He's never been on a date before. And the other one needs to have fun with a nice girl. Know anyone who'd take 'em on?" He nearly gasped when her tongue circled his ear. Shit, the wench remembered he liked that a LOT!

"I'll be over at the hotel in about ten minutes. That is, if you feel like moving so I can stand up," she breathed against his skin, wet lips touching his neck briefly before drawing back.

"Yeah, ten minutes. Goal's to get those two hooked up and outta my hair so we can go pay tribute to P'an Chen-lien."

"Sounds like a good plan." She stood up, pressing herself against him closely with a sly smile before moving away and out of the bar.

Gojyo took a shaky breath, knew he was grinning like a fool and didn't much care. This was gonna be one helluva night for sure!

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo blinked, taking deep breaths to regain some control over his shaking body. He pushed damp pieces of hair from his eyes, still enjoying the waves of pleasure that continued to run through him. The actual act of having sex wasn't any different than taking care of it himself. What made it so much more... intense (as well as pleasurable) was watching Yaone. The way her body undulated and moved, muscles and skin shifting. The sounds she made, soft at first and growing louder as she got closer to climax. The change in her eyes. Gods, that had to be the most intoxicating thing to see. Usually, her eyes held a quiet sort of joy, or a calmness that was a little more real than Hakkai's attempts at the same emotion. But, during sex, all of that disappeared and a more predatory woman came out. One that liked to get a firm grip on his skin and had to be careful not to bite too hard. His gaze drifted down to his stomach where red scratches stood out against his pale skin. No blood, but they were beginning to sting from the sweat. He wasn't too sure he liked getting scratched up by his lover, but at the time it happened he'd been too focused on other things to really care or notice.

Yaone was still sprawled on top of him and to the side a little so she wasn't blocking his gun hand. Even in this state she was mindful of her surroundings. She let out a little moan as she shifted her weight away from him, letting the cool air move between their bodies. Her lips touched his shoulder briefly before meeting his lips in a very quick kiss. "Did I scratch you badly?" she asked, resting her head on his chest so she could look down his body, fingers trailing over his hips and stomach, skirting around the red marks.

"No." He pushed her tangled hair away from her neck so he could run his hand down her back and up again without it getting in the way. It wasn't entirely comfortable with her lying on top of him. It certainly didn't do anything to cool him down, but he liked touching her, especially after sex. He could deal with the discomfort.

"You need to learn not to leave hickies. Look, I've got one right-,"

"Screw you!" he interupted, even as he sat up slightly to see where exactly she claimed he'd... oh, right. He fell back against the pillows, rolling onto his side and causing her to fall onto the bed with a startled yelp, turning his back on her. "Besides, I didn't hear you complaining when I put it there."

"Hey, look at me when we're arguing," she laughed, gripping his shoulder and tugging, trying to roll him back over.

He didn't budge, muscles locking up against the insistant pulling. "We're not arguing. You're bitching and I'm ignoring you, so I don't have to face you if I don't want to."

Yaone let out a huff of breath, keeping the distance he'd put between them as she fell back against the bed and gave up trying to make him face her. She hissed, squirming around on the bed to find a more comfortable position. "And you scratched my back."

"You asked me to, remember?"

"I did?"

Sanzo nodded, turning onto his back again, rolling his head over to look at her startled eyes. "You did."

"Oh... when was this?"

"Somewhere between, 'oh, God, yes' and 'please, Sanzo, do it'."

Yaone's cheeks turned red as she covered her eyes with one hand, an embarassed little smile on her lips. "Thanks for the reminder."

He allowed himself a quick smile, knowing she couldn't see it. Hearing her scream his name was a massive turn on. He liked the fact he was the one she cried out for, the one who made her scream like that. It had to mean his part in the sex was at least good, if not excellent. Not that her contributions weren't appreciated greatly, but it was a bigger boost for his ego that she would react like that to him.

Sanzo rolled over to the side of the bed, groping around on the floor for his boxers and jeans. He needed a cigarette and he wasn't about to smoke it naked. Sitting on the edge of the bed since his legs were still a little uncooperative, he put on his clothing, looking around for his shirt before remembering it was still in the kitchen. Didn't matter anyway, it wasn't like he needed it. He crossed over to the window, opening it just a crack to let the smoke out. He flipped the top to his cigarettes open, tapped a stick out and lit up, inhaling deeply and letting it out slowly. The noise outside was loud enough to rattle the pains of glass, a combination of booming music and roaring people. Idiots. They'd use any excuse to behave like animals, thus the reason P'an Chen-lien's festival was so incredibly popular.

"Sanzo?" Yaone asked from the bed. She sounded concerned and that irritated him a little. Hakkai mothered him enough, he didn't need his girlfriend doing it as well.

"I'm fine," he answered, glancing back over his shoulder. She'd put her tunic back on, the material only reaching to about mid thigh and making her long legs look even longer. She was hugging herself, jaw trembling a little at the cool breeze coming through. He didn't shut the window, though. If it was a choice between being cold or breathing smoke, he knew she'd pick the cold.

"Actually, I just wanted to show you something I purchased today." She blushed, giving him an embarassed smile. "It was impulsive, I know, but I saw it and, seeing as I had the extra money, I figured I couldn't pass it up."

Flicking his cigarette out the window and not really caring if it hit someone below, he followed her over to the sitting area, frowning when she opened her saddle bag and pulled out something in a small box. "What is it?"

"Now, please don't laugh. I remembered you mentioned this a while back, and when I saw it..." She opened the box, grinning as he sat down next to her.

"It's small," he commented, pulling the worn cotton bag out and opening it to spill roughly carved wooden pieces onto the table. The whole set was obviously bought used. Shit, he hadn't touched one of these in years. Not since Hakkai kicked his ass in about three minutes. He STILL couldn't figure out where he'd gone wrong and refused to let Hakkai tell him. That would just adding insult to the injury.

"Well, it's travel sized. And I couldn't afford a bigger one," she laughed, unfolding the checkered board. "But, there's one small problem."

"What's that?"

"I've never played chess before. So, if you want to play, you're going to have to teach me."

Biting back the smile he could feel was lurking at the corners of his lips, he lit another cigarette and began setting up the black pieces. "Kings are these pieces. They go on the opposite colored squares," he began, sorting through the pieces in search of what he could only assume was a queen. "I can't keep this, you know."

"I know. That's why it's travel sized. I can bring it back and forth."

"Hmph. Then you better get in some practice between visits. Queens go next the kings- other side." He still couldn't understand why she'd get a chess set if she didn't know how to play it. Was it only because he mentioned once that he and Hakkai used to battle it out until he got sick of losing? It made no sense whatsoever... but at the same time it made the odd, warm feeling grow stronger.

Yaone gave a short laugh and continued to set up her pieces, copying his placements. " Oh, thank you. And I suppose I'll have to."

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai and Goku waited outside the inn, Goku bouncing up and down excitedly while Hakkai buried his hands deeper into his blue jean pockets, feeling extremely sick to his stomach.

"Hakkai! I'm goin' on a DATE! I can't believe that stupid cockroach is getting me a date," Goku continued excitedly, eyes dancing.

Hakkai gave him the best smile he could muster, even though he knew it fell far from the mark of looking happy for the boy. "Just be careful, Goku. You know the type of women Gojyo likes."

"Only the finest ones, of course," Gojyo drawled behind them. He had the dark haired woman from the first night under his arm, and two others to either side of them. One was obviously a lot younger, her brown hair twisted back into two buns. She kept glancing at Goku and smiling, a little giggle breaking out. "Guys, meet Yasha and Sulima. That's Goku and that's Hakkai."

Yasha was the younger girl. She waved over at Goku, who swallowed heavily and looked about ready to faint. It was rather amusing, really. He could take on the biggest, meanest youkai in a fight, but he got scared around a small girl. Hakkai finally turned his attention to the other woman, smiling as politely as he could. This was exactly how he DIDN'T want to spend his evening. Sulima smiled back, flicking long dark brown hair back over her shoulder. At first, he'd though her hair was either very dirty or full of thick pieces. It wasn't until she shook it back that he realized she had thousands of very tiny braids. A few beads were woven in, and the braids themselves must have taken hours to do.

"So, are we gonna go join the fun or stand here all night?" Gojyo called. "Make friends, you four! I've already made friends here." The woman under his arm gave a throaty laugh, slapping her hand across his ass.

Yasha was the first to come over, grinning as she stuck her hand out for Goku. "Hi! I guess I'm supposed to be your date for the evening."

"Uh... I guess," Goku mumbled, face so red it looked ready to explode. He quickly shook her hand, pulling his free as soon as he could.

"So, Gojyo said you guys are traveling. That sounds like fun! I've never even left Rankoupa before."

"Oh... uh... well, it CAN be fun," Goku continued, looking down in horror as she laced her fingers around his arm, pulling him after Gojyo and his date.

She laughed. "He said the same thing! Hey, you like sweet stuff?"

The mention of food got Goku's undivided attention. "Do I? I LOVE sweet stuff!"

"Cool, because my dad owns a bakery and I work there alot, so maybe if you wanna swing by sometime before you go-,"

"YES! I mean, yeah, that sounds really great." Goku blushed even darker and couldn't look at her.

Luckily, Yasha took it well, nudging him playfully. "It's okay! I get excited over food, too." The chatter continued, her dominating the conversation as they walked away. Goodness, Goku was going to be lucky to get a word in with that one!

Hakkai glanced over at Sulima when she shook her head, pale blue eyes looking almost silvery in the faint moonlight sifting through the smoke of bonfires blazing. "A match made in heaven, wouldn't you say?" she commented, giving him a lop-sided smile that showed a dimple in her thin cheek.

"It appears so," he answered, nervously wondering what he was supposed to do on a date. He'd never dated before. Ever. He'd met Kanan, was instantly in love with her and never felt the need to seek out anyone else. The awkward silence between them grew even deeper... and more awkward as neither of them said a word. Finally, letting out a nervous laugh and rubbing the back of his neck, Hakkai explained, "I'm very sorry. I really hadn't planned on a blind date tonight."

Sulima let out a short laught of her own. "I was asleep when those two came banging on my door. No offense, but a blind date wasn't on my to-do list this evening either."

That made him feel a little better, knowing she was in the same position he was. "I was going to to laundry. You?"

"Start taking inventory of my shop."

They'd started walking slowly toward the others. Gojyo and his date were standing just outside the crowds of people gathered in the streets. Goku was busy helping Yasha to his shoulders so she could see the action. "What sort of shop do you own?" he continued, taking advantage of the polite conversation topic she presented.

"I own a sex shop."

Hakkai blinked, jaw dropping. Gojyo wouldn't dare... "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not. Why, does that bother you?" she asked, hugging her burgundy shawl more closely over the thin white shirt while giving him an inquiring look. She was almost taller than he was, and built like a runner or someone who practiced yoga. He was betting on the second one. She seemed the type to enjoy it. "Me and two other friends, not those two, scraped together enough money for a small building. We're trying to expand since we've been collecting so much shit. Handcuffs, ball gags, riding crops, ticklers... you name it, we've probably got a couple of each."

"Ah... I see." Where in the world did Gojyo FIND this woman? And why in the name of God would Gojyo ever think to set him up with someone like this? Oh, he had no doubt she was very nice but... a fetish shop owner? For HIM? He was certain if Sanzo were there he'd be laughing. Or at least smirking at his predicament. They finally reached the others with no further conversation, both unsure how to procede further in this conversation. The crowd tonight was bigger than the night before, and about three times more lively as well. Hakkai quickly put a hand to Sulima's back when she was roughly shoved aside by a woman screaming back at a man running after her. Something about 'that goddamn floozy'. Oh, dear! Lover quarrels were never very pretty.

"YASHA! Can ya see what smells so good or not?" Goku demanded, adjusting his grip around her thighs on his shoulder. It was obvious holding onto the small girl was a little more difficult than Goku wanted to admit.

"Looks like... meatbuns," Yasha finally answered, waving at someone in the crowd.

"OOOOH! MEATBUNS!" Goku cried, jumping so high that Yasha fell off with a squawk, bouncing a little on the pavement as she landed. Goku cringed, quickly helping her to her feet. "Sorry about that! Really, I am!"

Yasha giggled, motioning she wanted back on his shoulders. "That's okay! You want meatbuns? I'll get you some!" Once she was on her perch again, she put two fingers in her mouth and gave a high, shrill whistle. The man walking around with a carton of meatbuns grinned. She indicated she wanted four and the man nodded, reaching in to toss the foil wrapped packages to her. She caught them, passing them down to Goku before getting down herself.

"Wow! How'd you get them for free?" the boy demanded, tearing one open and munching on it happily. His eyes rolled back, a small, pleased groan coming from him. "Mmm... and they're so good, too!"

"That's my cousin. He and my uncle run a meatbun stand just up the road. You should go there sometime."

"I will, thanks!"

Gojyo leaned over, getting both of the other men's attentions. "Mei wants to dance," he hollered over the music.

Hakkai nodded and shouted back, "Have fun!"

Grinning like a boy who got caught peeking into the girl's locker room, Gojyo grabbed Hakkai's wrist and jerked him forward into the crowd. Hakkai barely registered what was going on before he felt slim fingers close over his other hand, and glanced back to see Sulima bringing up the end of their human chain. Oh, no... surely Gojyo wasn't expecting HIM to dance! "Gojyo, what are you doing?" he shouted as they continued to weave their way through the writhing masses, getting closer to where the musicians were set up.

"Hey, if I've gotta look like a jackass, I'm taking at least one other person down with me," the red-head replied. "Besides, let the two kiddies play alone for a bit."

Still feeling a bit nauseous over this plan (especially the leaving 'the kiddies' alone for ANY amount of time), Hakkai allowd himself to be dragged up close to the platform, the drums so loud his ears were already ringing. Mei immediately wrapped herself around Gojyo, hips twisting and swaying to the fast beat. Gojyo responded instantly, his own hips flexing and circling back. If it weren't for the fact that both were fully dressed, it would have looked like they were having sex to the music. Glancing around, Hakkai was almost horrified to see everyone was dancing like that. If this was how people danced nowadays, he needed to leave and fast. This was perhaps one of the most uncomfortable positions he'd ever been forced into in his life!

He jerked his attention away from scanning the crowds when Sulima's arm circled his neck, body pulsing and moving against his, placing her legs so that she practically rode one of his. She had a look on her face he supposed was meant to look lustful, but he really wasn't interested. He tried to relax, even attempted to move a little to the music, but it wasn't any good. This... just wasn't his thing. He could tell Sulima was getting a little frustrated with him as well. Everytime she grabbed his hand and clamped it firmly on her ass, he'd very casually move it back to around her waist. His suspicions that she was a little annoyed were confirmed when he moved her hand for the millionth time off his own ass and to the small of his back. She rolled her eyes, glaring at him as if he'd called her the most vile name ever created.

"Come on, grope me a little, would ya?" she called, leaning back slightly to push her hips into his even harder. Her shirt slipped down off one shoulder, revealing she wasn't wearing a bra. Other men might have found her brazen actions arousing. Hakkai didn't. To be perfectly honest, he found it a little repulsive. He was about to suggest maybe they just go somewhere quiet for drinks when Sulima suddenly dipped low, her mouth VERY close to the fly of his jeans, before grinding back up his leg, hands moving down his neck, his chest, fingers trying to curl around his belt...

Hakkai grabbed her wrists quickly, stepping away from her, cheeks burning with embarassment as well as a touch of anger. This was ridiculous! While he appreciated Gojyo's efforts to introduce him to women, this wasn't the right place and she wasn't the right woman. It was one thing to get physically close to someone you've known for years, in the privacy of a home. It was a completely different thing to get intimate with a stranger in a crowded street. "I'm sorry, but I think you'd have a better time with someone else tonight," he said above the music. "Please, excuse me."

"What? HEY!" Sulima remained where she was as he began to push his way back through the crowds of people, more than a little humiliated that there were witnesses to him getting groped in public. God, he felt sick, his head throbbing and his stomach ready to upheave itself onto the pavement any minute. He should have refused from the start and stayed in to catch up on the laundry. If it weren't for Goku's pleading, he would have. He knew Gojyo hadn't meant for him to be uncomfortable, but... he knew Sulima was a far cry from the type of woman he would have approached. Tomorrow morning, he and Gojyo were going to have a long chat about this!

"YO! 'KAI, HOLD UP!" Gojyo ran up behind him, stopping him with a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, what happened?"

Forcing a smile, Hakkai said, "We just weren't having fun. I'll see you later, Gojyo."

"You want company back?" Gojyo looked genuinely worried for him. That small favor did wonders to ease his embarassment and make him forgive Gojyo for the mishap. Chances were more than likely Gojyo had no idea where that woman worked to begin with. If he did, he probably would have kept her for himself rather than pawn her off on a friend.

"No, you've got Mei waiting for you. Go have fun, I'll be fine." He pushed the other man away gently, giving him a real smile, small as it was.

Crimson eyes still swimming with concern, Gojyo nodded once and said, "Okay. G'night, Hakkai!"

Hakkai waited until Gojyo vanished into the crowd before continuing his walk back to the hotel. His heart sank even further when he heard a deep bass rumble that had nothing to do with the drums. Glancing up at the sky, he noticed the heavy black rain clouds rolling in, shivered when the first icy drop hit his cheek. He closed his eyes briefly before speeding up the pace, eager to get inside before the full onslaught collapsed on him. The weather reports stated the rain wasn't supposed to come until Saturday evening. It was a full day early.

Hakkai ran the rest of the way to the inn, slamming the door shut and leaning against it just as the rain came pouring down, beating rapidly against the window pains and the door. Thick, heavy drops, heavy like...

No, not here. Not in the middle of the entrance way. Pushing himself away from the door, he made his way back to his own room, locking the door and finding his way through the dark to his bed, collapsing on it and staring at the raindrops staining his window, hitting so fast they didn't have a chance to form a path. God, this just wasn't his night!

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone woke drowsily, confused as to why. It wasn't the lack of warmth next to her, she was getting used to Sanzo's restless fits in the night. It was something else... Sitting up, the sheets pooling around her waist as she pulled the thin strap to her night gown up, she squinted and looked around the room. There was a riotous tapping noise, like a million tree limbs against glass. It took her a second longer to figure out it was a heavy rain, and that the window was still open a crack. Probably from Sanzo smoking during the chess matches. Which she lost badly. All twelve times. The last one had actually been a little closer, but she strongly suspected he'd taken it easy on her for the last few.

She got up, noting that his side of the bed was cold. He'd been up for a while, obviously. She went over to the window, her toes curling as they stepped into a cold puddle of rain water. Fingers finding the latch, she began to ease the window closed, shivering a little at the cold draft coming through.

"Leave it open."

Yaone jumped, slipping in the puddle and hitting the floor hard, grimacing as it jarred her back sharply. "God! Sanzo, I didn't see you there."

Sanzo was sitting on the floor in the shadows, back pressed to the wall and an ashtray to one side already half full of cigarettes. A lit cigarette was between his fingers, the tip glowing dull red in the darkness. He brought it to his lips, sucking it down, the red reflected back in cold violet eyes.

She could almost feel the chillness in the air around him, like a slap of ice water to the face on a hot summer's day. It was so totally opposite of the man who practically burned the sheets up when the had sex that it was almost alarming. She knelt down next to him, keeping a few inches of space between them. She'd seen him like this once before, and now that she remembered, it had been raining that night, too. Could it be... maybe... the rain was effecting him? Slowly reaching up, she pushed the window closed, meeting his fierce glare calmly.

"I said leave it open," he muttered, stubbing out his cigarette and immediately opening the pack on the floor, lighting the last one before crumbling the empty carton and throwing it across the room. It landed by the low table where two other empty packs were. The lighter flickered to life, catching on the lines of his face. He looked exhausted, angry, tired... and just a little sad.

Yaone fought not to wave the smoke away with her hand. If she did, he'd only argue that she shouldn't have closed the window. Hesitantly, she reached out, fingertips just barely brushing the hair from his face, tucking it back behind his ear. Sanzo jerked away, giving her an almost murderous glare.

"Don't touch me. Just... don't touch me," he said, dropping his head back against the wall as he took another drag.

"Alright," she answered softly, adjusting her position so that she was sitting on the floor next to him instead of kneeling. He watched her every move suspiciously, eyes narrowed. "Is there anything I can get for you? Anything you need?"

"I don't need shit. Just go back to bed, I'm fine."

"I'm really not all that tired right now." _I'm worried about you._

His lips twisted into a sneer. "I've already got a mother figure in this group. I don't need this from you."

Yaone took a deep breath and let it out slowly to keep herself calm. He wasn't angry at her. He was just tired and upset and was using her to vent his frustrations verbally. "Forgive me. I wasn't trying to be maternal."

"Whatever." Sanzo looked away from her, eyes closing briefly before bringing the cigarette to his lips.

The intelligence handed down from Lady Gyokumen Koushu was very limited in regards to their enemies. Son Goku was a heretical being with uncharted strength and speed. Cho Hakkai was a mass murderer, or a youkai slayer depending on if you were human or youkai. Sha Gojyo didn't have much listed on him, and she'd only discovered a year ago that he was Dokugakuji's younger brother. And then there was Genjyo Sanzo. A full sanzo priest at thirteen. The rightful keeper of the Maten and Seitan Sutras. And an extremely dangerous rival. She knew his master was dead and guessed from the few times he spoke of his teacher that the man had been as close as a father to him. This was all they had in the reports about him.

To be thirteen and given what was tantamount to a royal title. To have such a burdensome responsibility as protecting a founding scripture handed to you, and then be expected to survive in the world with no one to help. At every turn there was a potential enemy, both human and youkai alike. She couldn't imagine the strength of will it took for him to just convince himself to get out of bed and keep going, and she'd never really considered it until now, watching him silently fall apart inside while he desperately tried to keep the outside together. It made her chest ache for the man before her, made her wish she could at least take some of the burden from him. She couldn't, there was no helping that. The least she could do is try to show him he wasn't alone, that she was part of the group waiting to catch him should he fall. Why he didn't realize his friends were there for him was beyond her. Especially Goku. Despite how much Sanzo might complain, it was more than obvious the boy was very dear to him. And the same was true for Goku in regards to him. How many times now had Goku risked everything, including his sanity, to save Sanzo? How many fights had Goku put himself between Sanzo and an enemy seeking to kill him?

Sighing, she stood up under his watchful gaze and went over to his bag tossed on the table. Well, none of them were here now to help him. She was it, and she really didn't think there was much she could do to alleviate this morose mood he was in. She flicked the latch to his bag open, digging through it for what she was looking for.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Sanzo demanded angrily. He still didn't move from his spot.

Yaone came back over and slid a fresh pack of cigarettes across the floor, ignoring the healer's voice inside her screaming that she shouldn't feed his addiction by doing this. "Here. This is the last pack you have. Do you want me to get more?"

There was a confused flicker to his face, as if he couldn't understand why she was doing this. "Do whatever you want," he muttered, stubbing out the cigarette in his hand before tearing the plastic off the new one.

Moving away from him, Yaone quickly got dressed, throwing her cloak over everything, and opened the door as quietly as she could. Everything was silent now, which meant it was pretty late. This was probably one of the craziest things she'd ever done; going out in the rain to buy one pack of cigarettes for her depressed boyfriend. She blinked, stopping dead in her tracks in the rain when the term 'boyfriend' slipped out. Boyfriend... it made her smile as she started walking again. It was a weird to say it, but essentially that's what Sanzo was. Her boyfriend. Now, granted she would never DREAM of saying that to his face, but... wow, she had a boyfriend!

She was still smiling at the idea of saying that to him and seeing the horrified look at such a sappy term as she entered the twenty-four hour shop in the corner, shaking her cloak free of the clinging raindrops. Thank goodness for that weather proofing chemical Dr. Hwan had invented! Approaching the counter, she smiled at the clerk who gave her a bored, questioning stare in return. "Good evening," she said.

"S'not evenin' no more. S'mornin'," he replied.

"Ah. Sorry. I need to buy a pack of cigarettes."

Rolling his eyes, he indicated the wall behind him... with so many choices she had no idea where to start. Damn it all! She'd been dating Sanzo for months now, one would think she knew what kind of cigarettes he smoked! Gritting her teeth at her own lack of attention to detail, she said tightly. "I'm very sorry, but I don't know what kind he smokes."

"Then maybe you shoulda asked him 'fore you come an' waste my time," the clerk drawled out, glancing over as the door opened and more people came in.

Planting her palms on the counter top and pinning him with a glare, she said, "I'm very sorry for inconveniencing you. You must be terribly busy." She put just a touch extra sarcasm into the last part. "I need to get these cigarettes for someone. He can't come get them himself and I really don't want to walk all the way back through the ran, then come all the way back here. I know they're rather strong, with a red label across a white box. If you could show me the packages that fit that description-,"

"Marlbolo reds. Filtered," a familiar voice said behind her. It was quiet but it carried a definate edge of confused anger to it.

Yaone turned around slowly, heart in her chest and voice trapped in her throat. She turned around until she looked down slightly... into fierce golden eyes.

Goku glared at her even as the man retrieved the cigarettes and put them on the counter. Yaone stared back, unsure what to do, what to say, how to react. The girl with Goku was looking from her to him and back again curiously. "Who's she?" she finally asked, licking her fingers from the sticky candy she was eating.

"She's Yaone. She's the woman sleepin' with Sanzo," Goku bit out, voice still wavering between confusion, hurt and anger.

Yaone winced at how ugly it sounded when he said it like that, but she still couldn't help feeling she owed the boy an apology. "I'm... sorry?" she offered tentatively

Goku turned and left, shoving the door open roughly. The girl blinked and then ran after him, calling his name.

Yaone threw some money on the counter top, grabbed the cigarettes and ran after Goku into the rain, ignoring the shouts from the clerk. She had no idea how much a pack of cigarettes cost, and she didn't much care. Right then, she needed to get to Goku before he went bursting into the hotel room!


	29. Chapter 29

Yaone.

All this time, and it was... Yaone. How crazy-stupid was that? Goku continued to run, feet pounding on the dirt ground, stomping through puddles in his haste. He was sick and tired of being left out of things because 'he was a kid'. He was gonna be nineteen soon. NINETEEN! That was practically an adult in some places! He knew Yaone was running after him, he could hear her yelling his name. It only spurred him on faster, slamming the door to the inn open and jumping up the stairs three at a time.

If Yasha hadn't wanted ice cream, he would've never gone in that store. And if he never would've gone into that store, he never would've recognized Yaone's voice. Or heard her trying to buy Sanzo's cigarettes. It HAD to be Sanzo's cigarettes she was buying. She said whoever she was getting them for wouldn't come out in the rain, and who else would even MAKE someone go get cigarettes when it was pouring like that? Goku hesitated briefly outside the door. He knew Sanzo was going to be really, REALLY angry if he walked in... but, for once, he didn't care. He'd rather have Sanzo cussing and hitting him than keeping secrets from him.

"Goku, wait!"

Damn, she was fast! Goku glared over his shoulder at her... and opened the door. He didn't have to do what she told him, and this was something he HAD to do. He didn't like Sanzo being so secretive about things like this. _Things that are important._ It wasn't fair! Yaone was frozen for a second as he walked into the room, leaving the door open on purpose. He knew Sanzo would be sitting in a really dark spot, probably near a window so he could watch the rain. The light shining in made it easier to see, and it wasn't long before he spotted the man. The moonlight filtering through the glass panes made the deadly glint to his eyes all the more scary. Goku ignored this and went over to him anyway. They were gonna talk about this even if it meant getting whacked to death by that stupid fan!

"Get out," Sanzo said, voice empty of anything except the promise of pain.

Taking a deep breath, holding it briefly before letting it out, Goku said firmly, "No."

Sanzo looked up, surprise registering through the anger. It was quickly replaced by an eerie calm, one that Goku knew meant he was gonna get hit in a few seconds if he wasn't careful. "No?"

"No. It's Yaone, isn't it?"

Violet eyes returned to dangerous as they glared around him at Yaone. "I'm sorry," she gasped out from where she leaned against the doorway. "He saw me buying you cigarettes. I couldn't do anything about it."

Sanzo crushed out his cigarette, burned right down to the filter, and immediately lit a new one. Goku had learned a while ago not to say anything about the chain smoking. It only made him angry. "Shut the fucking door already," he mumbled as he lit up.

The light coming from the open door immediately went out, a soft click coming as it closed completely.

"I meant with you outside it."

Goku almost smirked at that. He didn't need to see her to know there was a shocked look on her face. "Alright," she said softly. "Should I come back up, or should I bring my bags with me?"

"I don't care."

Goku turned just enough to throw a smirk in her direction. Yaone saw it, eyes widening a little before going narrow and a little angry. He didn't care. Served her right for helping Sanzo keep secrets.

"You, too."

"Huh?" Goku spun back around at the sharp order from Sanzo.

Sanzo flicked ash away, returning his gaze to the window. "Get out."

"I already told you, I'm not leavin' until we talk about this!" He knew even Hakkai would point-blank tell him he was being very stupid for arguing with Sanzo on a rainy night, but it was a risk he was willing to take if it meant he'd finally get some answers. He was tired of being the kid in the group, tired of Sanzo borderline lying to him, tired of being the last to find out... he was just TIRED! "So, when did you start sleepin' with the enemy?" he asked, knowing Yaone was stil in the room and could hear it. Good, let her. She _was_ the enemy still, after all.

"My relationship is none of your fucking business!"

Goku grinned at Sanzo's slightly shocked look. He'd said it, he WAS seeing Yaone! Goku's triumph only lasted a few seconds before...

_WHACK!_

"OOOOW! What the hell did you hit ME for? I didn't do anything!" Goku yelped from his spot on the floor. Rubbing his sore head, he pushed himself into a sitting position across from Sanzo.

Sanzo shrugged, setting the fan down next to him and out in the open as a warning. "That was for being the stupid monkey that you are," he replied. "Now get out, both of you. I won't deal with this shit now."

"I'll stop back up in a little bit," Yaone said softly. It irritated Goku no end that SHE was worried about Sanzo, too. She didn't know anything about Rainy Day Sanzo. HE did. He'd seen it every time it rained for almost ten years. HE had every right to be concerned, not her. She was probably gonna run back and tell Kougaiji all about it.

"I thought you were leaving." The cigarette was only half finished when he put it out, but mentioning anything like that would have made Sanzo even more angry.

Goku turned when Yaone came over to them, crouching down to place the fresh pack of cigarettes on the floor by his hand. "I've told you before that I'll do what I want, and what I want is to come back up in a few minutes to see if you need anything. And if Goku needs to be hauled out and buried in the rain for irritating you too much."

Sanzo gave her an empty stare before turning away from her, hand closing over the fresh pack of cigarettes. Goku met her glare steadily as she stood up. He'd always thought Yaone was kinda nice. THAT wasn't nice at all! She basically said if Sanzo killed him, she'd bury his body. "Go back to Houtu Castle where you belong," Goku snarled, his anger finally bursting a little further open.

Yaone didn't respond to that as she left the room, closing the door softly. Goku shook his head, still really mad about that last comment, and returned his attention to Sanzo, who was watching him now through narrow, slitted eyes. If he was mad, he couldn't tell, but whatever he was feeling wasn't happy.

Well, he'd gotten his wish. Yaone had left. It was just him and Sanzo now. And the rain. Goku swallowed a little heavily and almost wished he'd left with Yaone. This was gonna be not good for his head, he was sure of it!

>>>>>>>>>>

Stupid, really.

Everything about him was just dripping with stupidity. Big, round stupid eyes, oversized stupid head... Sanzo blew a stream of smoke out and waited for the stupid monkey to say something.

So, he'd figured it out, big deal. What, did he expect a meatbun as a reward? Besides, it was all her fault anyway. She fucked up, got sloppy and he found out. Now that Goku was aware of what was going on, it was only a matter of time before the kid fucked up as well and mentioned it in conversation to the kappa. Then, the teasing would follow, the intentional flirting with his girlfriend whenever there was a fight... The thought of putting a bullet right into Goku's head was starting to be very appealing. Yaone had already volunteered to dispose of the corpse.

And why did he keep staring at him? Why the fuck wasn't he saying anything? Goddamn creepy, stupid bastard! He wasn't in the mood to deal with this shit, not by a long shot. His head ached, he was tired and it was raining so badly out he could feel the thrumming as it hit the building through his back pressed to the wall. Goku and this conversation didn't even make it on the list of things he didn't want to do. It was so far below that list it bordered on being not even worth his time to think about.

He took another hit, holding it a little longer than the last one before letting it free from his lips. Goku blinked, but continued to just stare at him, eyes just as round and innocent as before. It was then that he realized he couldn't read Goku's thoughts through his expression. The innocent facade was just that. Goku was trying to remain neutral and blank, unreadable. Shit, when the hell did he learn that? It irritated him no end that the kid had picked up on hiding his thoughts like that. It made him look older.

_He's almost nineteen. That's a lot older than when you found his starving ass in the mountain._

Damn... Goku was almost nineteen. Almost as disturbing as discovering his new blank face. When did he go from some brat tagging along behind him to this smart ass sitting before him? Whenever it was, it didn't change the fact that Goku was almost of legal drinking age and was starting to fight back a bit. He wasn't entirely sure he liked this rebellious streak that was emerging, but he could always settle that a little later. Not tonight, though. Tonight, it seemed, Goku was set on having a staring contest.

Exhaling more smoke, Sanzo pushed the cigarette butt down in the full ash tray, flipping the top open for yet another stick. "Didn't I tell you to leave?" he asked as he lit up. He was sick of the staring and just wanted to be left alone. He gazed out the window, watching the rain splatter on the glass. This rain was a little heavier than that night, but it still had the same effect. The scenes just playing themselves over and over in his head. His Master... the attack... blood everywhere... He took a hit, forcing the images back as much as he could. Goku and his shit needed to wait until he felt like dealing with it.

Goku shifted a little, eyes drifting away slightly before returning. "You coulda told me," he mumbled.

It was a stupid thing to say, and he wasn't going to dignify it with an answer. No, he couldn't have, and for several reasons. First, it was none of his goddamn business. Second, he would NEVER be comfortable talking about his private life with someone he'd basically raised. Third, Goku had a big fucking mouth, and that big fucking mouth usually opened wider when taunted by a certain red-headed prick. Fourth, if anyone found out, especially anyone at Houtu Castle, they'd both be screwed. He'd seen first hand what happened to people that got out of line. He was the one who'd patched her up after being raped and beaten. If word got out she was screwing the enemy, he could only imagine what they'd do to her.

Images of Yaone in the doorway, bloodied, bruised and to the point of passing out with exhaustion surfaced then, chasing the dark thoughts of the past back a little bit. Gods, when he'd seen her... the same feelings of being helpless to stop it, helpless to do ANYTHING about it... He hated feeling like that. He'd done what he could for her in that moment, but it wasn't enough for him. He'd wanted to find the bastards that even thought about touching her and he'd wanted to make them scream for the whores that gave birth to them. Even now, it still bothered him that she'd gone through that... and he hadn't been able to do a damn thing about it. He sucked down an angry hit, letting the waves of frustration wash over him. It was the most gods-awful thing in the world, to know that the slightest slip meant someone he cared for would be suffering because of him and he couldn't stop it from happening. No matter how fast he'd tell Hakkai to drive, no matter how many of the assholes he'd kill, it wouldn't do anything to save her if it happened. _Just like before... unable to move, unable to push him to safety... weak._ That's what it was. He felt weak because of this, and he didn't like that.

The clouds were beginning to move away, a wind kicking in from out of nowhere to move the storm quicker. The rain was coming in random little bursts, receding quickly as the wind picked up, rattling the glass in the windows, shaking water droplets free of it's surface. Thank the gods for that small miracle. He'd begun to think it was going to be a long rain. Those were the worst. Those were the nights that made everything hurt, from his head to his chest and right down even to his toes. Not much longer now and everything would be fine.

"I don't get it. How come you're hidin' it? You're sneakin' around like it's Gojyo you're with instead of her."

"You little shit! Don't ever say that again, even as a joke!" The nerve of him, to put him and that pervert together in THAT sense! He had to stop himself from picking up his gun. It was insulting, but not worth wasting a bullet over. Yet. "You wouldn't understand." Gods, why couldn't he just drop it for now?

Sanzo leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes as he tried to force the headache back to whatever hole it crawled out of. Blood was everywhere, on his hands, his robes, the floor. Blood that wouldn't ever leave, no matter how many times he washed his cloths and hands. It was never visible to anyone but himself, but it was enough. Why couldn't the fucking brat understand he wanted to be ALONE? As in, no one in the room. Yaone was fine. She would go to sleep and leave him alone. She understood, almost better than Hakkai. She understood, and she let him deal with it in his own way, only stepping in if necessary. Like to run out into a fucking rain storm and get him cigarettes.

_What about when Goku went to get peaches because he thought you were sick? Isn't that the same thing?_

Yes... but Goku kept digging at him. Digging and digging until the wounds began to bleed again. He knew it was because the kid wanted to help, but sometimes the best way to help someone was to leave them the hell alone for five minutes.

"It really hurts, y'know. That you didn't tell me. Don't you trust me?" Goku asked, breaking his train of thought clean in half.

"About as far as I can drop kick your ass." He knew the minute the words were out that Goku would be upset, but he really didn't care. He just wanted to be alone, and Goku wasn't helping make that happen. Maybe if he hurt him enough, he'd finally get the hint and just go away. Never completely, it was impossible to hope for that, but just until the rain stopped. His eyes flew open when a sharp kick landed on his shin. "You son of a bitch! Do you want to die?"

Goku's glare made his golden eyes look near bronze colored. Angry tears were just on the surface. It would only take a few more harsh words to make them fall. Sanzo contemplated it briefly, but decided in the long run making the boy cry was only going to make the headache worse. "That was really low," Goku bit out, tucking his knees in against his chest and wrapping arms over the top. "I trust you."

"Your choice."

"Sanzo! I'm serious here." _Why don't you trust me? I'd do anything for you, so why don't you trust me? It hurts... really bad. Inside. You're making me hurt..._

Sanzo winced, stopping the sudden onslaught of thoughts and emotions coming from Goku, most of it tinged with a bitterness that cut almost through his own pain. "Enough of this bullshit."

"S'not bullshit!" Goku shouted, foot swinging out and connecting with his knee again. For the love of the gods!

"Kick me again and the leg's coming off!"

"Fine! Be like that, what do I care? I mean, s'not like I deserve to know or anything. It's just..." _She's taking you away from me. I'm going to be all alone again, and I don't like that!_

That made him open his eyes, staring up into the shadows along the ceiling. So... that was it. It wasn't so much keeping it a secret that had Goku acting dumb. It was more like he thought Yaone was stealing his place. Stupid chimp. "How many times have I told you I'm not going anywhere? Yaone doesn't change that. Hell, I doubt anything but me going crazy from your yammering and eating a bullet would change that."

"Don't say that. I don't like you saying that," Goku said sternly.

Sanzo arched a brow slightly, his eyes moving from the ceiling to look at Goku, head still tilted back. "I wasn't saying I was going to, dumb ass." The windows were nearly rain drop free now, the wind howling around the building, whistling through a few cracks. The memories of blood and his Master's death were starting to return home as well, back into the dark corner of his mind. Always there, lurking to get free when the rain would remind him. Except... not all the memories returned completely. The ones of Yaone remained still, lingering and keeping all those... concerns... of his right under the surface. Damn it!

"I know, but still... so, what, is she your girlfriend or somethin'?" Goku pressed, quickly changing the topic back to what he was really curious about.

"Goku, do yourself a favor and shut up. You're two questions away from getting killed."

Goku did as he suggested and shut his mouth completely. A miracle. He sent a quick thank you up to the Merciful Goddess for actually being _merciful_ for a change. What a relieving change from the usual! He picked his head up, eyes half-closed as he regarded Goku through the haze of cigarette smoke. It was obvious from the way he was squirming a bit and chewing on his lower lip that he wanted to ask something, but was trying to behave himself. Sighing, crushing out the cigarette and reaching for the pack again, he said, "I'm tired. Save it for tomorrow morning." The rain was done now and it left him drained to the point of just sleeping on the damn floor.

"Okay. I promise I won't say anything. About Yaone, I mean."

"Don't make promises you won't keep."

"I won't say anything, I promise for real! No matter what, I won't!" Goku declared firmly.

Sanzo snorted, lighting up. He'd believe that the day Hakkai would turn into a man-slut and Gojyo would join a temple. He had no doubt Goku would try very hard, but past experience made him a skeptic. Goku would never say anything to their enemies, he knew that. But to the other idiots they were traveling with... he didn't want them speculating on his personal life. "We're done. Get out."

"Okay." A slightly annoyed look crossed his face as he asked, "Should I tell Yaone _she_ can come back in?"

"Do whatever you want, just shut the door on your way out." He honestly couldn't deal with a jealous monkey right now.

Goku stood up and went to the door, hand resting on the nob as he turned back. "I'm not sure I like it, but if this is what you want..."

Sanzo met his gaze, let the smoke trickle from his lips and said, "It is."

Nodding, Goku opened the door and left.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone sat in the quiet, darkened bar by herself, fingers running around the rim of the shot glass she'd borrowed from behind the counter. An open bottle of vodka was next to her, barely touched but still there. Her stomach was a knot of nerves, eating away at her insides. If she didn't develope a stress ulcer from all this, it would be a miracle. She glanced at the clock over the bar, hand curling around the shot glass, ready to tip it back before checking on them. Fourty minutes had passed. No gunshots, no screaming, nothing to indicate any problems whatsoever. She couldn't decide if the silence was good or bad, and she was sick of waiting. Downing the shot, she stood up and left the bar, making a mental note to leave some money with Sanzo to pay for the alcohol she'd consumed.

This couldn't be easy, for both of them. Despite the obvious anger directed at her, she felt bad for Goku. It wasn't exactly the kindest way to find out, that's for sure! She could understand why he was so upset, but at the same time she knew exactly why Sanzo didn't say anything to him. Sanzo was, if anything, a control freak when it came to himself and anything personal to him. Getting him to open up was like trying to force sea urchins off a rock face. He had to be carefully chipped at with great care and patience. If pushed too hard or too fast, he'd snap and shut down completely. Oh, he'd gotten much better about it since she'd first started seeing him regularly, but there were still times that made her wonder why she even tried. Goku probably knew this, but he wasn't very patient and he liked to push things as far as he was allowed. Her worry over the silence being bad doubled as that thought came to light, making her hurry up the stairs. Sanzo would never forgive himself if he actually DID end up killing Goku, no matter how much he would claim the boy had it coming!

Her worries were groundless, she realized, when she reached the top of the stairs just as Goku was leaving. Their eyes met and held, his instantly turning a little cold. It wasn't the almost open hostility from before, curiousity and something else tempering it, but it still wasn't the usual look she'd come to expect from him on a battle field. It was very close to being a look she'd expect from Sanzo. Letting out a shaky breath, she said through a throat suddenly gone dry, "I wasn't sure if you were finished or not."

"We are, sorta," Goku answered, still standing in front of the door.

"Ah." She shifted a little, cheeks burning as the uncomfortable silence finally made her embarassed. Oh, God, now every time he saw her, he would probably only remember that she was sleeping with Sanzo. The only thing more humiliating than that would have been if he'd actually walked in while she WAS 'sleeping' with Sanzo. She'd have to remember in the future to double check that the door was locked from now on.

"I guess you can go in," he mumbled, finally stepping away from the door. The tone he used implied that he was giving her grudging permission to enter.

Yaone waited for him to start walking down the hall before going to the door. She paused, hand resting on the door nob, and looked after him. "Goku?"

Goku turned back around slowly, eyes suspicious.

"I'm... sorry. About tonight. That you had to find out... like that. It wasn't fair to you."

The hard glare softened a bit, and there was the suggestion of a smile to his lips as he looked down at his shoes. "Why him an' not somebody else, like Hakkai or Kougaiji? I get them, but not Sanzo."

Yaone's blush deepened, a smile creeping to her own lips. "Honestly, I don't know. I suppose... I suppose it's because I can depend on him not to die on me. I need that assurance. Too many others that I've cared for have died and left me alone. Sanzo won't do that."

Goku nodded, meeting her gaze again. "You better not hurt him. Cuz, if you do... I dunno what I'd do, but it won't be good."

She nodded, quickly ducking her head at the awkward threat. It was obvious Goku didn't do that very often, but she wouldn't insult him by letting him see how it amused her. "I understand, and I swear harming Sanzo is about the last thing I'd ever want to do. Just remember that we _are_ still technically enemies. There will come times where I might have to hurt him a little."

"I'm not talkin' about hurtin' him like that. That's kinda the point of fighting. What I'm sayin' is, don't hurt his feelings."

Yaone looked up, a little surprised at the last statement as Goku finally continued walking down the hall, fingers running along the textured walls as his other hand dug around for the key to his room. What a terribly odd conversation to have with him! She'd always regarded Goku as a sweet boy, even when they were fighting. If he could avoid doing serious damage without leaving himself vulnerable, he would. He was nice, a little immature for his age, but what eighteen-year-old boy wasn't, really? But that last statement... that was from someone much older and much more mature. It was a side of Goku she'd never known existed, and she probably never would have if it weren't for everything that had happened. Kougaiji had been right about not underestimating the heretical boy. Goku was full of surprises, both on and off the battlefield.

She pushed the door open , slipping in and shutting it quickly behind her. Sanzo sat up automatically in bed, reaching for his gun out of instinct before relaxing when he saw it was her. "Shit... knock or something next time."

Grinning as she shrugged her cloak off, kicking her boots to one side as she began to change for bed once more, she said, "Sorry. Did I scare you?"

"Hardly. Did you run into Goku?" He shifted around, balling his pillow up a little more.

"Yes, you could say that. We talked a little." She slipped under the covers next to him, smiling when he rolled onto his side, one arm draping across her waist but keeping a little distance between them in case he truly needed his gun.

"Oh?" The question was bland enough, but he clearly was a little curious what was said. He just wasn't about to ask it, that was all.

She pushed a few pieces of hair from his face, fingertips and claws tracing his cheek and jaw lightly. He was watching her, eyes looking nearly black in the darkness. She wasn't going to ask if he was okay. He was, for now. Yaone continued to stroke his cheek gently, every once in a while running her fingers back through his soft hair. His expression was completely unreadable at the moment. He didn't back away from the casual touching or tell her to stop, just let her continue caressing him. Very strange for him, but she wasn't going to argue the point. This was one of those things just to accept at face value and enjoy while it lasted.

Sanzo shifted a little, leaning in to kiss her, so softly it was almost not even a kiss. "Thanks for the cigarettes."

Yaone smiled, finally pulling her hand away, tucking it under her pillow. She knew he wasn't just thanking her for the cigarettes. "Anytime."


	30. Chapter 30

AUTHOR'S NOTE: WOOT! It's gonna let me post now! Jolly good. Anyway, sorry it's been so long, I had Shinigami's Wrath out here for a visit and was having too much fun to write anything. Um... yeah, so here's the newest chapter and thank you everyone for being so patient and supportive. Without the continued interest, I doubt very much I would have bothered making this into such a HUGE project. THIRTY CHAPTERS! Holy shite!

>>>>>>>>>>

The Jeep skidded to a complete hault along the sandy desert stretch, all three passengers already having taken a death grip on whatever could keep them from flying out as the driver cut the wheel with almost unnecessary force. Goku stood up in back, leaning over the front seat eagerly, eyes wide and excited. "Wow... there's a whole lotta them! Can we pleeease stop, Sanzo?"

The youkai army in front of them let out a fierce shout, weapons clashing together, eyes gleaming violently, teeth gnashing. They were still a good distance away, but more than ready to rush in and kill them. It was the same as every other day.

Sanzo arched a brow and shoved the kid back down in back. "Stop breathing on me," he muttered, making a great show of dusting the sleeve to his robe off. "I don't want to catch whatever's being passed around back there!"

Goku scowled at Gojyo as he chuckled before picking himself up off the back of the vehicle. "It's been ages since they sent so many, Sanzo! Let's just finish 'em off! It'll be quick, I promise!"

"Aw, the little monkey's anxious to get out and play," Gojyo drawled, ruffling Goku's hair.

"We don't have time," Sanzo stated flatly.

"Grr... come ON, Sanzo! I wanna fight these guys," Goku shouted. Sanzo's glare became it's most lethal as he gritted his teeth and refused to turn around or respond.

Hakkai smiled, glancing back in the rear view mirror at Gojyo. Their eyes met, and a quick wordless conversation took place before Gojyo's smile slowly grew wider and he resumed his death grip on the seat. "Sanzo?" Hakkai asked, glancing over at the monk, hand resting on the stick shift and foot poised over the clutch..

Sanzo didn't meet his gaze, but the small smile could be seen from behind the curtain of his hair. He knew exactly what the other two were thinking. "Floor it, Hakkai!"

"WHAT? NO FAIR! SAAANZOOO!" Goku quickly scrabbled for a hold on the Jeep as Hakkai jammed the stick into first, released the clutch and began racing toward the army, kicking sand up behind them as they went.

"Hold on, everyone," Hakkai laughed, moving up a gear as the engine growled higher. They hit the top of a sand dune and were air born for a few seconds before thudding down sharply, wheels spinning to find purchase on the loose earth before plowing onward. The army began to waver and break, those in front not wanting to be run down, the ones behind trying to keep them in place so they weren't hit first. A few didn't move and were soon under the wheels, screaming as Hakkai cut the steering sharply swirving them back around for another go. The lines began to reform, the commanding officers ordering archers to the front.

"New game; youkai bowling," Gojyo announced over the sounds of screaming and engine roaring. His shaku-jo appeared in his hand as he took a carefully positioned stance in the back, letting the chain hang loose, blade still in his hand. "Yo, Kai, swing to the left!"

"Okay!"

Jeep slid across the sand as Hakkai swung it hard to the left, downshifting to compensate. Gojyo flung the blade out, keeping it a safe distance over everyone's heads, and let the momentum of Hakkai's gods-awful driving do the rest.

"LOOK OUT!"

"AHHH!"

"SON OF A BITCH!"

The youkai either dropped down quickly or met a nasty death at the end of a crescent blade, bodies falling down into the sand around them.

Goku was practically bouncing up and down in back, grinning from ear to ear. "AWESOME! Me next, me next!"

Hakkai, laughing, jerked the emergency break up, swinging them back around in an almost perfect circle before releasing the break and stepping on the gas. Goku was leaning out, nyoi-bo ready for the group of youkai standing in their way. Just a little further... "GAH!" Hakkai screeched the Jeep around, throwing Goku down as gunshots exploded right where his head would have been, finding homes inside the chests and heads of the youkai he was about to take out. The bodies disintegrated, the greyish ash marring the perfect yellow sand. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? IT WAS MY TURN!"

"Oops, sorry, Goku," Hakkai replied with the most wickedly friendly smile he had. Goku growled low, eyes narrowed fiercely. Hakkai had done that on purpose, he was sure of it! "There's a particularly nasty looking group just ahead. Do you want to try them?"

"YEAH!"

Hakkai headed straight for them, ploughing down anyone who stepped in front of the vehicle. Bodies rolled up and onto the hood before falling over the side unmoving, the ranks were breaking all around them, running for their lives. "Get ready, Goku!"

Goku leaned over again, grin turning malicious as they got closer... "DAMN IT, HAKKAI!" He was thrown down again as Hakkai turned right instead of left, purposely cutting him off from attacking and giving Gojyo the opportunity. "YOU'RE DRIVIN' LIKE THAT ON PURPOSE!"

"Well, naturally, Goku. If we stop, they'll just gang up on us," Hakkai replied sweetly.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

"Stop whining, chimp," Gojyo said smoothly, flicking the chain easily ahead of them in a sweeping arc that cut through the throats of seven or eight youkai. "How about getting off your ass and lending a hand?"

"I would, but Hakkai's drivin' worse than usual," Goku shot back.

Hakkai's response was to take the Jeep up over another dune, rocketing them further into the army and toward the commanding officers on horse back. "Can you hit them from here, Sanzo?"

"Keep driving and stop asking stupid questions," the monk said angrily, standing in his seat with one hand gripping the frame of the windshield. He took aim, firing off all five rounds and dropping back down into his seat as Hakkai swirved again, narrowly missing the horses that were screaming and bucking their riders off.

"Hey... it was supposed to be MY TURN," Goku shouted.

"Who said?" Sanzo asked as he reloaded, gritting his teeth as they went over a particularly sharp jolt.

"No one, but it's only fair!"

"Life's not fair, deal with it!"

Gojyo laughed from in back, flinging the crescent blade out behind him to take care of the ones running in on their tail. "Hell yeah, life's not fair! So, maybe instead of bitching- HEY! YOU GODDAMN STUPID LITTLE MONKEY!"

Goku leaped into the air and over the side, rolling across the sand before getting to his feet, nyoi-bo swinging out at the youkai trying to circle him. "C'MON! LEMME SEE WHAT YOU'VE GOT!"

Hakkai continued to drive as Sanzo and Gojyo both looked back at Goku quickly being over run with youkai. Both of their cigarettes were hanging limply from between their lips, both of them with identical looks of shock mixed with annoyance at the boy's impetuous act. Hajjai was secretly amused at the similarities, but he very wisely kept his mouth shut on it.

"Uh... Sanzo? I think we lost your monkey," Gojyo said slowly, catching glimpses of the kid from between bodies as he struggled to fight them all off.

"Damn it," Sanzo muttered. "Hakkai, go back. I've got to smack him again for falling out of the Jeep."

Smiling and already doing what Sanzo told him to before he'd even asked, Hakkai spun back around and bee lined it for the group clustered over Goku. "Hold on, everyone!"

Gojyo clung to the side, eyes going wide as he saw Hakkai driving right for a particularly high sand dune. "Hakkai? Hey... Hakkai, you're not gonna... OH, SHIT!"

Hakkai gunned it up over the ridge, laughing as Gojyo let out a rather shrill scream and Sanzo closed his eyes, hands gripping the dash board so hard his knuckles were white. The Jeep went sailing over the heads of their opponents, the suddenly dark shadow overhead making them look up in time to scream and scurry out of the way. It was enough of a distraction for Goku to finish off the thirty or so clustered around him before jumping and landing in the Jeep just as it hit the ground.

"Man, didja see that? That was AWESOME! I was like 'WOOHOO', and they were like 'AHHH', and I was like-"

_WHACK!_

"OW!"

"STUPID MONKEY! HOW MANY DAMN TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO **THINK** BEFORE YOU ACT?" Sanzo gave him a couple more whollops just for good measure before dropping down into his seat again, scowling fiercely.

Gojyo leaned over, looking down at Goku twitching on the floor of the Jeep, a small bit of drool hanging from the corner of his lip as he stared back with wide, dull eyes. "Shit... I think you gave him a concussion," he observed.

"Impossible. In order to have a concussion, he'd need a brain."

The red head chuckled at that, nudging Goku with his boot. "Hey, either die so we can toss you overboard or get the fuck up. You're crowding my space."

That had him up in a minute, practically foaming at the mouth in anger. "YOUR space? Uh-uh, no way! This is MY space, so move your nasty kappa feet!"

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me! I said move your nasty-,"

**_BANG!_**

Both flattened themselves as far away from Sanzo as he half knelt in his seat, aiming down the barrel of his gun right at them. "Not another damn word, got it?"

They nodded and gulped, still watching the blonde cautiously as he settled himself once again, refastening the seat belt just in time for Hakkai to spin them back around and observe the ragged and very beaten youkai army. "One more time, Sanzo?" he asked, looking back in the rear view mirror at the two being very carefully quiet.

"I'm sick of this bullshit. Just get it over with, Hakkai," Sanzo snarled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Smiling, Hakkai shifted into gear and tore through the sand, shifting quickly so he could have a free hand.

Gojyo saw what he was going to do and began shaking his head violently. "Uh-uh, no! Kai, don't you DARE even-,"

"I'm sorry Gojyo, you'll need to speak up over the engine." Hakkai's now free hand was beginning to glow, slowly growing brighter and bigger, forming a ball in the air.

"GODDAMN IT, DON'T PLAY CUTE WITH ME! AND DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT-,"

Hakkai shot the enormous chi ball out, sending it toward what remained of the army. A few were quick and managed to get cover, but the rest screamed as the light covered over them and melted them away. He slammed on the brakes, turning sharply to try and avoid the back draft of the force, but to no avail. The Jeep began to rock and tip onto two wheels, making Gojyo and Goku scream as they tried to stay inside the vehicle without proper restraints. "Hakuryuu!"

The four of them went rolling across the sand as the Jeep suddenly turned back into dragon form, preventing them all from being crushed under it's weight. It saved any broken bones, yes, but now they had to worry about sand burn and bruises. Everyone stayed down as the sand fell and settled around them, the only sound now coming from Hakuryuu chirping in concern over Hakkai's shoulder.

"Ugh... fucking hell!" Gojyo pushed himself up, wincing as it moved his sore hip. "Damn it, Hakkai, that little stunt almost ripped my nads off! I TOLD you not to do that! Remember the last time? You almost took our asses out then, too!"

Hakkai levered himself up on one arm, removing the broken monocle to examine the splintered glass. "Oh... sorry," he mumbled absently before flinging the glass away and smiling. This was exactly why he carried extras. "That was rather fun though, wasn't it?"

"You're sick, man. _Real_ sick."

Sanzo rubbed the small of his back as he stood up completely, scraping the sand from the scratches on his cheek off. "Do that again, and you're dead."

Goku took his shoes off and dumped the sand from inside out, grinning. "That was super great! Let's do it again, Hakkai!"

Gojyo swung his foot out and kicked Goku's ass. "You stupid chimp! Didn't we JUST get done telling him NOT to do it again?"

"Aw... but it was lotsa fun!"

"Fucking hell, Sanzo, we're the only normal two in this group of masochists," Gojyo groaned, flopping back into the sand again.

Sanzo looked ready to murder or get sick to his stomach from that comment. "And I'm going to be the only normal one soon if you ever lump me in the same group as you again," he sneered.

"Get bent!"

"Roll over and die!"

They were all on their feet now, brushing the remaining sand off as best they could. Hakkai gave Hakuryuu a bounce into the air with his arm so the little dragon could hover briefly before turning back into the Jeep. "I'll be sure to give you some extra steak tonight for your hardwork," he said, patting the hood of the vehicle like it was actually the dragon. The Jeep whirred excitedly, lights flashing.

"YAY, steak! Can I have mine medium rare, Hakkai?" Goku asked as he clambered in back.

Gojyo made sure to elbow him especially hard as he resumed his usual spot. "He was talking to the lizard, not the chimp!"

Rubbing his arm and glaring as hard as he could at the kappa, Goku replied, "How do you know? Maybe Hakkai WAS talkin' to me! I got the most of 'em anyway, so I worked hard, too!" He stuck his tongue out for emphasis before crossing his arms over his chest and glaring over the side of the Jeep as Hakkai resumed their drive west.

"THE HELL YOU DID! I SO GOT MORE THAN YOU!" Gojyo exploded, grabbing a handful of Goku's hair and yanking hard.

"NO, YOU DIDN'T!" Goku grabbed a handful of crimson and pulled as hard as he could.

"YES, I DID!" Another jerk of brunette hair.

"NO, YOU DIDN'T!" And another jerk of crimson.

"YES, I-"

**"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP?" **This was followed by the soft click of a safety sliding free. Both of them eyed the flash of cold metal in the sun, gulped and quickly sat back, resigned to resume the argument again later.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone quickly unsaddled Sparky, writing a note for the stable master to give him an extra ration of meat in the morning. The little dragon collapsed happily down into his pen after having worked himself hard to get her back as quickly as possible. He didn't mind it, though. She was very nice to him, unlike that _other girl_ who tied him up weird all the time. Yaone scratched his head once more before running as quietly as she could into the castle.

It was late Sunday evening... or early Monday morning depending on how one chose to look at it. That meant only a few servants noticed her hurrying for her room. Kougaiji was an early riser, which meant she and Dokugakuji had to be early risers as well. She still had to shower before she could catch even a few hours of sleep, and she had to bury her clothing in the laundry hamper. It wouldn't do if anyone smelled cigarette smoke or a human scent on her. Even an idiot could piece the two together, and Kougaiji was by no means an idiot.

She unlocked the door to her room, slipping in and shutting it behind her before dropping her bag and kicking her boots off. The sky outside her window was just starting to turn a dull grey as she continued her way to the bathroom, stripping her clothing off as she went before tossing it all into the basket by the door and stepping onto ice cold tiles. Yaone wasted no time in grabbing a couple towels, stretching one out on the floor by the tub, and cranking the water on as hot as she could stand it. Sanzo liked his hotter than this. How he could stand it, she had no clue.

Yaone smiled as she ducked into the stream of water, closing her eyes when the droplets slid down her face. Sanzo had complained bitterly about sharing a shower with her, and how cold the water was. That was on Saturday, her last night with him. She'd seen the route they were taking, and it wasn't going to be an easy one, or one that offered many civilized rest stops. It would be a while until she saw him again in a more private setting where they could relax.

She sighed, shampooing her hair. Saturday had been nice. _Very_ nice, actually. They'd gotten up a little later than usual, she'd made a quick breakfast with some coffee, he'd left her the front page of the newspaper while he took the inside editorial pieces. He had to leave for a bit just so Goku didn't come barging in. Even if the boy knew now, it still would have been an awkward thing to have him come running in. Or, rather, it would have been awkward for her. The conversation from the night before had made it more than obvious Goku wasn't entirely happy with their arrangement.

By the time he'd come back up, she'd already washed all the dishes... and done the sudoku puzzle. THAT had set him off a bit when he'd checked and found out it was already finished.

_"You couldn't wait five damn minutes for me to get back up here?"_

_"You were gone longer than five minutes, and I was bored. What was I supposed to do?"_

_"The cross word, or the fucking word jumble. I hate that thing."_

_"I hate it, too. I'm sorry."_

_"The hell you are."_

The arguement hadn't been serious... mostly. It wasn't a hard thing to coax him into letting her give him an apologetic kiss... which led to them finding a creative use for the newly cleaned table. Yaone blushed, rinsing out her hair, as those memories came back. The poor table... She'd shown him a few new things that morning, that was for sure! Things that had him writhing under her, eyes narrow and burning with lust, lips parted and a little short for breath. It was such a difference from the man she saw out of the bedroom, the one that was all cool arrogance and murderous intent. This man made her shiver in an entirely different way.

She turned the shower off, shaking her head to try and get the images of him out of her thoughts. Thinking about him, under any circumstances, made her angry at their situation. She enjoyed waking up to warm skin, tossled golden-blonde hair, a face usually drawn together in tight lines now slack and near boyish in sleep. Or how he'd fake indifference as she cooked, even as he asked about fifty questions about this ingrediant, or why she was using that technique. Then there were the quiet times where they'd just sit together, not saying anything, just two people taking a moment for themselves. Of course it was too much to ask that just one thing in her life be normal. Fate just loved to slap people across the face when they weren't expecting it.

Yaone wrapped a towel around her hair and one around her body as she stepped out, no longer feeling as good as she had been. God, she was so stupid to have said yes the first time he'd asked her to dinner, and even more stupid for coming back again and again. Why did he have to understand her so well? Why did she have to see beneath the icy exterior to the person beneath? Why the hell did he have to be so... She didn't know what exactly he was, but it reminded her of a magnet. She couldn't help being attracted to him, despite everything set in the path of having a normal, non-lethal relationship. Love was complicated enough. Why did she have to fall for a foul-mouthed, smoking, gun-toting Buddhist monk?

She stared at her reflection in the fogged up mirror, her eyes a little wide as a sudden coldness began to creep down her skin. Yes, she did love him. Despite all the reasons why she shouldn't, she did. This wasn't just some random infatuation, or like the other times she'd 'loved' someone she'd been intimate with. She honestly loved Genjyo Sanzo, and everything about him. From the way he'd wait until she was finished reading the page in a book before flipping it, to the way he'd shout and complain to his companions, to the arrogant smirk he got when he caught her staring him. Everytime she was with him, she could see him opening a little more to her, and it was amazing to watch and know she was maybe one of a few people in the entire world he'd ever let close to him. It was wonderful and... she loved him.

Slowly, she took a breath and let it out, closing her eyes as she forced herself to calm down. She was starting to see this relationship as something more long termed than when it first started. She was no longer counting in days or weeks, but in months. It was nice and... it terrified her. Yaone slid to her knees on the cool, slippery tiles, unable to stare at her own startled reflection any longer. This was not like anything she'd had before. Sanzo was both a blessing and a curse to have in her life. He understood her, made her feel like she could be herself around him and not have to worry about what he would think. It was so different from her life in Houtu Castle where everything she did was scrutinized and judged by everyone around her. But then there was the one point that always loomed in the back of her mind, even when she was getting lost in his arms. Genjyo Sanzo was the enemy, and she had sworn an oath to Lord Kougaiji that she would serve and aid him against his enemies.

Yaone leaned her head against the cabinet doors at her back, closing her eyes. God... what to do about that? She couldn't kill Sanzo. Even as she knew he wouldn't hesitate for her, she couldn't do him the same courtesy. She would rather die at the end of his gun than be the one to deliver that final blow. It was foolish to be worrying about what-if's and an uncertain future, but she couldn't help it. Her mind was wired to think about different scenarios and out takes. It came with the job of being an explosives expert. Which now left her with the simple question of what to do? She owed Kougaiji too much to betray him to anyone, especially to their enemies. But was it worth it to fulfill her duty at the cost of what she held dear? Kougaiji had said not too long ago to never let go of what was important. Sanzo was now very important to her, and she wouldn't let go, not if she could help it.

Sighing once again, she stood up, dragging herself wearily from the bathroom. The sun was up fully in the dawn position. Kougaiji and Dokugakuji would most likely be awake. She was tired and still unresolved as to what she should do. Sleep was about the only thing that made perfect and logical sense. She threw on a shirt and collapsed on the bed, tucking herself under the covers and wishing there was a warm body to curl up to, the faint tracing of cigarette smoke clinging to pale skin. Instead, all that greeted her were cold linen sheets and an extra pillow. A very poor substitute for what she wanted, but it'd have to do for at least the next week.

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo rolled over, balling the thin pillow up even tighter on the hard ground, scowling as the crickets seemed to chirp louder than ever. Damned insects. If they weren't stinging him, making him itch or trying to dive into his mouth while they drove, they were making noise when he tried to sleep. And the moonlight was too bright. It kept flitering through his eyelids, and no matter what position he tried to sleep in, it didn't keep it out. Add to this the fact that sleeping positions were not only hampered by three other people in the tent but also a sore back (sex on a table top was good at the time, but, shit, did it leave him sore!), not including all the minor bruises from their earlier fight, and he was pretty much set for a sleep free night.

A snore came from Goku, loud and grating, followed by a deeper, softer one from Gojyo. A foot twitched, kicking his side sharply. Goku, damn the brat! If he thought beating the kid would do anything, he would have. Unfortunately, with him pretty much dead to the world, hitting him wouldn't bring half the satisfaction it normally would have. There was only one thing to do...

Sanzo stood up, grabbed his smokes, gun and Sutra, and went outside. He went over to where the dying fire embers still glowed, sitting down on the ground with his back pressed to an old log Goku had dragged up earlier. The leather under shirt took away most of the bumps and edges from the wood, and it seemed the wildlife was a little quieter out here. If he was going to stay up all night, he was going to do it in relative peace and without someone's foot cracking his ribs! He lit a cigarette, stretched his legs out, crossed them at the ankles, and leaned his head back to stare up at the sky.

Gods, was it really just this morning that he'd watched her leave from the window? Yes, it was still technically Sunday. The moon was still fairly prominent in the sky. Shit, that meant at least a week, maybe a little longer, before they'd reach a town and he would have a chance to get a room to himself. And he would, too, damn it, even if he had to chant for six hours straight or bless every fucking cobweb in the place! Or maybe he could claim he needed a room to himself for solitary meditation. That sounded better, and it was mostly true. He couldn't meditate with those three making noise. Solitary meditation... that was a good one. Sometimes, being a high-ranking monk had it's perks.

To think, last night he'd been asleep in a bed with Yaone stretched out beside him. He hated camping even more for that little reminder. Her skin was always a little cool to the touch, unless they weren't sleeping and were 'sleeping' instead. He liked it, it felt nice. The only thing really uncomfortable about sharing a bed with her was her damn hair. It liked to find it's way into his mouth, get tangled in his fingers, trapped under his pillow so that when she woke up it wasn't without pulling a few pieces out. When she pulled it back, it was fine. He liked it better that way anyhow. That way, he could see her more clearly. She had a shitty poker face, so he could usually tell what she was thinking just by watching her. The long hair hid that sometimes, whether by her choice or accidentally.

They hadn't kissed goodbye or anything cliche like that. Just a simple embrace and then she was out the door, turning to smile at him over her shoulder before she disappeared from view down the stairs. He flicked ash from the end of his cigarette, staring at the burning tip. This was the pack she'd bought him. He would never admit it out loud, but he did feel a touch guilty she'd used what little money she carried on her to buy his smokes. It was one thing to put it on the temple's bill, or on Gojyo's. It was entirely different when his non-smoking girlfriend did it. He'd make it up somehow. Maybe buy her a pouch of gunpowder. The thought made him smile, quickly, before he took a hit. She was probably the only woman in the world who would appreciate the explosive compound more than flowers. Lucky him. He could swing for gunpowder, but flowers... that was a resounding hell no.

Sanzo glanced up when Hakkai dropped down next to him, wrapped in his blanket and looking a little bleary eyed from waking up. "My, is that moon bright," the green-eyed man said through a yawn, covering his mouth politely.

"Too bright," he answered back. He knew what Hakkai really wanted to talk about, but he wasn't going to bring it up. Let the bastard do it on his own.

Hakkai made himself comfortable against the log, eyes still turned up to watch the sky. "I hope you don't mind company, but I honestly can't listen to one more comment about food or women."

"Join the club."

"Why, thank you," Hakkai laughed, eyes crinkling as he smiled. "Should we have t-shirts made for us?"

Sanzo shrugged, not really in the mood to joke around. "You decide, I don't really care."

He laughed again, softly, hugging the blanket more closely around himself. "I have to say, Sanzo, you've been in a relatively good mood today."

"Is that so?" Maybe Hakkai was going blind in the other eye as well. Or maybe he was just ignoring all the shooting, the hitting, the shouting and the fighting that had been going on all day long.

"Mm, yes, markedly so. Gojyo even mentioned around the fire how you weren't hitting as hard as you normally did."

Sanzo glanced over at him, crushing out the cigarette in the dry earth. "Just what the hell are you getting at, Hakkai?"

The face that turned to him was still smiling pleasantly, but the eyes were shrewd and very serious. "What I'm getting at is we've all known each other for four years now. We've spent the last year in close proximity with each other."

"Don't remind me." The year past was one he didn't want to dwell on or live again. If he could start it over again, he would have told the sanbutsushin to go fuck themselves and that he was traveling alone.

"Sanzo," Hakkai said sternly, the smile slipping completely from his face. "I'm just giving you fair warning that Gojyo's not as dumb as you'd like to believe him to be. Especially in regards to _this_ sort of thing. If he's starting to notice a change in your behavior, then Goku is bound to pick up on it as well."

Sanzo shifted a little, uncrossing his ankles as he stared down at his folded arms. "He already knows."

If Hakkai could have fallen over, he would have. Round green eyes blinked in surprise, jaw dropped slightly. "Goku... knows? You told him then?"

"I didn't have to. He found out on his own."

"Oh... dear. I take it from your tone that he wasn't entirely thrilled?"

"That's one way of putting it."

"Ah. I see."

Sanzo turned back to face him, scowling. "I don't want you two talking about it. If Goku brings it up-,"

Hakkai gave him a patient smile, eyes lowered. "I'm a little insulted you even had to ask, Sanzo."

"I wasn't asking."

"Of course you weren't."

A silence fell between then in which Sanzo lit another cigarette and Hakkai held his arm up for Hakuryuu to land on. The little dragon cheeped sleepily before snuggling down into his master's arms under the blanket. Bright red eyes peeped out from the shadows, blinking a couple times before closing completely. "Also... I might suggest purchasing your own, ah... protection in the next town."

Sanzo choked on the hit he'd just taken, smoke stinging his eyes as it was quickly expelled from his lungs in a surprised rush. What the... Did Hakkai seriously just suggest he BUY his own condoms? "Bastard... go to... hell," he coughed out, wanting to glare at the amused expression on the other man's face, but he was still racked with coughing and couldn't muster more than a half-assed scowl. Damn it! Hakkai definately deserved a glare for that comment.

"Gojyo's noticed he's missing a good many of them," Hakkai continued, unperturbed. "He knows I certainly wouldn't take them, and he knows Goku wouldn't either, not without saying something first. That leaves one other person."

"How does he know he didn't use them all himself?"

"Gojyo's a lot more careful than you give him credit for. He knows he didn't use them, and he's not happy at all about the theft."

"Good, then maybe he'll learn to keep his dick in his pants the next time he sees a pair of tits. And, it's not theft. He owed me money from the last game of mahjong, and I took my payment that way. How expensive can those things be anyway?"

"When last I looked, a pack of ten cost almost twelve dollars."

Hakkai was lucky he hadn't taken hit when he said that. Sanzo's eyes widened a touch, cigarette poised half way to his mouth. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Unfortunately, I'm not. I was with Gojyo when he purchased them. Sex is a very expensive hobby."

Twelve dollars for condoms? That was bullshit! "Forget it, what the kappa doesn't know won't hurt him."

Sighing and running his fingers down Hakuryuu's soft hide, Hakkai replied, "You'll do what you want, I suppose. You usually do. I'm just glad you're both being careful."

"Seeing as the alternative to being careful is now asleep in the tent, you're damned straight we're being careful." He knew the minute he said that Hakkai would misunderstand him and be pissed. Gojyo wasn't who he was talking about, though the pervert was a damned good reason as well. He'd been talking about the fact that he'd raised Goku. After what he went through with that kid, there was no way in hell he'd want a real one! He felt the chillness in the glare without having to turn and meet Hakkai's face.

"And just what _would_ you do if something like that _did_ happen?" Hakkai asked sharply, jaw working a little as he fought to control his indignance.

That... was a damned good question. He knew Yaone took some herbal shit to prevent pregnancy from occuring, but what if it didn't work? What if, by some nasty twist of fate, she mixed it wrong and he knocked her up? He may not know everything about the subject, but he did know 'protection' didn't always mean that. And knowing how fate liked to screw him in the ass, there was a good chance it might happen. So, if it did, what would he do? Or, rather, what would _they_ do? Would Yaone decide to keep it and raise a bastard half-breed child on her own? Or would she expect support from him? He wasn't one to walk away from responsibility, but something like this... Flicking off ash, he answered Hakkai honestly. "I don't know."

Hakkai sighed again, leaning his head back. "I'll add condoms to the grocery list in the next town. And you might want to consider talking to her about this before continuing anything in the physical aspects of your relationship."

Sanzo shifted again, abhored at the very idea of mentioning it to Yaone. Just who the hell did Hakkai think he was talking to? How the hell was he supposed to bring up the topic of getting pregnant casually? _"Hey, nice to see you, what's for dinner, and by the way, if I fuck you up, what do you want to do about it?"_ Yeah, that would go over real well. Of course, knowing her, she probably already thought of this and had something in mind. He hoped. Usually, she was pretty good at taking care of the smaller details to their plans. Like jumping out a window to avoid being seen, helping him wash his robes by hand so they didn't carry too much of her scent on them, burning candles after their _other_ activities for the same reason. She was very smart, or at least she had a lot of common sense. That had to be the biggest draw to her for him. Yaone wasn't just something nice to look at. She could hold her own with him intellectually any day, and he appreciated that. It was a nice relief from the constant idiocy that seemed to surround him daily.

"Sanzo?" Hakkai questioned softly, concerned by his long silence.

"What?"

"You're smiling."

"Fuck you, I am not!"

Hakkai flashed a grin, carefully keeping his laughter at bay. "You're thinking about her, aren't you?"

Sanzo glared at him, pushing Yaone further away just in case he actually WAS smiling. It wouldn't do the smug bastard any good to earn gloating points. "Maybe."

"That's as good as a yes from you. Why, Sanzo, I do believe you might actually be in love."

"Again, fuck you and I am not." The bastard! To even suggest such a thing was ridiculous. Love was a complication, something to hold him down. It went against everything he believed in, to be bound by nothing and be free of everything. Love made people do stupid shit. It didn't make everything better, it didn't turn enemies into friends. Love was just a way for people to blame everyone but themselves for their own idiotic acts.

_And isn't sleeping with the enemy an act of idiocy?  
_

That's completely different. Yes, it wasn't the smartest thing in the world, but he'd do it all over again if he had to. With maybe a few changes. Like shooting the bastard who raped her until he was good and dead. It still pissed him off that cross-dressing drama club reject got away. But what he had with Yaone wasn't because of love. He could easily walk away from it now and not think twice about it. Maybe. Actually, the thought of walking away pissed him off just a little bit. He couldn't begin to explain why it almost hurt to think about leaving her, but it still wasn't love.

"Sanzo, you do know it's alright if you do love her, don't you?" Hakkai asked softly, tipping his head back once again to stare at the sky.

Sanzo flicked the cigarette away this time and refused to look over at Hakkai. "Your point?"

"My point is... it's okay to love someone. It's not going to change you or make you do crazy things. It's not going to make you stronger or weaker. It's just... there. Love is just a way for two people to express more than friendship for each other. It doesn't even have to be a romantic love for you to say it to someone. It's just a word, not a belief or a change in lifestyle. You shouldn't be afraid of it."

He'd finally turned his head enough to watch Hakkai as he gave that little speech. As he'd expected, the man's face was perfectly calm, no smile or anything to break it. When he looked like that, it was hard to believe he was only twenty-two. It belonged on someone much older than him, and it was just a little creepy. Hakkai wasn't thinking about their conversation at all right now. His thoughts were buried away in the past, thinking about someone he hadn't been able to save. "Hey, Hakkai-,"

They both jumped, Sanzo reaching for his gun and Hakkai preparing to summon his chi when they heard a noise behind them. Gojyo stumbled from the tent, blinking in the bright moonlight over at them, pants falling down a little around his hips without a belt to hold them up. "What the hell are you dumb fucks doing up?" he mumbled as he began to pick his way to the nearest stand of brush.

"Talking," Hakkai replied.

"Fighting," Sanzo corrected. Hakkai shook his head and smiled, rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing up, kappa?"

"Right now? Getting ready to take a piss," Gojyo called before disappearing into the bushes. A zipper sounded and a moment later... "Ah... gods!"

Hakkai smacked a hand over his eyes, turning bright red as he sank down further behind the log. The blush spread a little further as another soft groan came from the bushes. "Sanzo, if Goku gathers firewood..."

"I'm on it." He clicked the safety off, took careful aim and...

**_BANG!_**

"FUCK! Son of a bitch, I almost pissed all over myself," Gojyo railed.

"Move further in, asshole! And keep the moaning to yourself!" Hakkai had a very good point, he thought as he settled back against his log, satisfied to hear Gojyo cussing loudly as he stamped even further back into the brush. If Goku went to gather wood in the morning, he'd go for whatever was closest to the camp first, which meant there was a pretty good chance some of the kindling he gathered would been marked by the kappa. He didn't buy for one minute Gojyo was smarter than he looked, no matter what Hakkai said!

As they settled in for what remained of the night, Hakkai said softly, "Just think about it, Sanzo."

Sanzo opened his eyes briefly before shutting them again. "I will. And make sure you get what I need first thing in the next town."

"Before cigarettes?"

"Shut up and don't be such a smart ass."


	31. Chapter 31

"Hey, Yaone, wait up!"

Yaone stopped her brisk walk, one side to her sleeveless tunic sliding down her shoulders because it was tied too loose at her waist, the chains to her stocking swinging free as her fingers quickly worked her hair back. Dokugakuji jogged up next to her and together they continued down the hall at a quick pace, having been summoned by Kougaiji not even ten minutes ago.

"Shit... did you just wake up?" he asked, taking in her disheveled appearance and the fact that she was still yawning.

She nodded, fastening the chains as she continued to walk down the hall. "Yes, I'm sorry," she mumbled, blinking her eyes to try and clear the sleep from them. "I had a rather long night." Actually, her long night had started a little after noon the day before and hadn't ended until about five this morning when she'd finally stumbled to her bed and fallen asleep. She was trying to push out the new line of explosives Kougaiji had requested, ones that burst midair and released shrapnel pieces everywhere. So far... no success. "Do you know why Lord Kougaiji called this meeting?" Being woken up by a servant to the prince was NOT the most pleasant way to start the morning.

Dokugakuji gave her a long look out of the corner of her eye. "He'd announced it yesterday after lunch. I was supposed to tell you about it, seeing as he couldn't locate you and do it in person," he said, his tone slightly accusatory.

"I'm sorry, I was in the lab all day," she explained cooly. She knew exactly where he _thought _she was, which hurt her just a bit. She wouldn't run off and leave them when there was so much work to be done!

Yaone straightened her tunic and tightened the belt, ignoring the stare. For the past month, she'd been running herself ragged, catching only three, sometimes four, hours of sleep a night. Between developing new explosives, teaching Lirin, running the countless small errands and missions Kougaiji asked of her, and everything else she had to do on a normal basis, she'd been sneaking out whenever she could to see Sanzo. Not to spend the night or anything. Unfortunately, she was too busy for anything longer than maybe a few hours to talk and a couple of quick kisses before she'd run off again. If it was beginning to frustrate him, it never showed, but she could only imagine it was seeing as it bothered her. If she didn't know any better, she'd almost swear Kougaiji was _trying_ to keep her occupied at Houtu Castle.

"You were in the lab? Since noon yesterday?" he asked dubiously.

"I was. I didn't leave the lab until almost four this morning," she replied dryly, hoping to God he'd just drop it now. All those hours of work... wasted. Not a damn thing to show for her efforts!

"FOURTEEN HOURS! Whoa... no wonder you're all piss and vinegar today."

"And it's amazing you're so popular with the ladies. Your bedside manner leaves much to be desired."

His amused chuckle was anything but amusing to her. God, she needed coffee. Or food. Or anything to help wake her up faster!

Just before they reached the prince's rooms, Dokugakuji put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her track. Yaone was just about to ask what he was doing when he cut her off and said, "Hey, if you're not feeling well-,"

"Doku, I'm fine. I'm just a littel tired, that's all," she insisted, giving him a smile and a pat on the arm to reassure him.

Dokugakuji shifted a little, eyes flicking away from hers. "If you say so. You do look like shit, though. He's not gonna like that."

Yaone blushed, straightening her gloves self consciously. "My, aren't we the brutally honest one this morning?"

"He's got enough going on as it is. It won't help much seeing you like this." Before she could ask what he meant by that, he opened the door without knocking first, used to Kougaiji allowing such liberties from years of practice.

It wasn't surprising to either of them to find the prince sitting at the one disastrous spot in his otherwise organized meeting room. The large, square table. It was covered over with books ranging from summoning studies to battle tactics to Buddhist philosophy. Maps were sprawled all across, interlacing with one another, some bearing marks in red or blue, others scribbled over in black, while still more someone had gotten creative with and drawn faces over it. That last had to have been Lirin. Scrolls were rolled, half-rolled, and completely unrolled all over a few chairs and on stacks of papers. In short, it was a mess unlike any other, and it made Yaone's teeth hurt as she fought the urge to tidy it. Kougaiji had everything organized in a way that only he understood, and she wasn't about to suggest another means of doing so.

Indigo eyes glanced up at them before returning to a smaller map that had a red line on it that seemed to weave, back track and contradict itself at various positions, but was steadily heading west, toward Houtu Castle. Anyone would have known what this map was at a glance. There were spots along the way that were marked in various colors, some in blue, others in black or red, and still others in purple. The color on there the most was red. The least was blue.

"So, what's up, Kou?" Dokugakuji asked, leaning against the table and peering at the map.

Kougaiji was tapping his lower lip in what some would have taken as a thoughtful gesture, but those closest to him knew was more of a concerned one. "We've lost track of the Sanzo party. Apparently, that idiot Hakkai drove them off a cliff and into a damned forest. Our scouts couldn't pick up the trail from there. We've got another problem, though. Two teams were sent out in a wide search in case the Sanzo party hit the river and took it down a little ways. Both teams vanished."

"Vanished?" Yaone asked, concerned. "But surely ash was collected from-,"

"Not as in Sanzo used the Maten Sutra. I mean, they vanished. No trace of bodies anywhere."

A heavy silence fell over the three as Dokugakuji and Yaone exchanged worried glances. Scouts disappearing without a trace? This was something new! "Well, it's not those four then," Dokugakuji declared. "They can't even pass through town without stirring up some kind of trouble or leaving clues." Yaone wanted to argue that it wasn't so much Sanzo and Hakkai causing trouble as it as his younger brother and Goku, but she refrained. He was already very suspicious about her activities and she didn't want Kougaiji thinking in that same direction.

Kougaiji gave a little amused smile for that comment and murmured, "That's exactly what I thought. Then there's also been a string of brutal murders recently as well. Both youkai and human alike, but mostly youkai. I just got back this morning from visiting the sights. I've never seen something so gruesome in my entire life."

"You went out? That was a dangerous thing to do, my lord," Yaone argued, fingers going to her mouth in surprise. With all that was going on, they couldn't afford to lose Kougaiji!

He was about to reply when he did a double take of her appearance, eyes instantly full of concern. "Are you alright, Yaone? You look sick!"

Yaone's back stiffened as Dokugakuji chuckled and muttered something that sounded a lot like 'I told you so'. "I'm fine, my lord, please don't worry about me," she said.

"It's your fault she looks this bad anyway, Kou," Dokugakuji cut in with a teasing little smile. "She just spent almost fourteen hours straight in that lab of hers, forgetting to eat."

Kougaiji's eyes widened just a touch, lips parting in shock. "Fourteen... Yaone, I appreciate your hard work, but you didn't have to push yourself like that!"

"I thought I was close to a breakthrough, my lord. I wanted to present it to you today. Unfortunately..." The silence after that was eloquent enough. She'd failed.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put so much pressure on you."

"No need to apologize, my lord," she replied quickly, horrified at the idea he might not think her capable of the work load God, that would be so embarassing!

"Just promise me you won't do that again. Everyone needs to take a break once in a while. I don't want you working yourself to death."

"I can't promise, my lord, but I'll certainly try.

He closed his eyes briefly in relief before he seemed to realize what he was doing and quickly cleared his throat, assuming a more polite form of the same emotion. "Good, that's all I ask is that you try. Back to business, I suppose. It's safe to assume then that these recent murders and disappearances are _not_ from Sanzo and his friends. That leaves us with the question as to who or what _is_ doing this. Dokugakuji, would you mind handing me the transparancy over there?"

"What, this one?"

"No, the other- thanks, Yaone."

Dokugakuji shook his head with a little amused smile as he muttered, "Show off," in her direction. Yaone smiled back as Kougaiji placed the thin sheet of near see through paper over the top of the map spread before him. They both stood by, Dokugakuji leaning closer to watch him work out a few points on the map before connecting them.

"Holy... shit," he muttered, making Yaone lean over to see as well. Unfortunately, his much taller frame and wider shoulders served better as a wall than a window, and it didn't look like he was going to budge anytime soon.

Kougaiji set the pen on the table and leaned back in his chair. Yaone used the opportunity of him sitting back to lean in a little closer and see better. Oh... so THAT's what the 'holy shit' was about! The second line, the one being drawn over the existing map, was working in from further west and making a nearly direct bee line right for the Sanzo party. It wasn't heading toward Houtu Castle like she would have expected, or to any other youkai lord's palace. It seemed whoever was murdering the youkai wanted to meet up with them. Her gut told her this wasn't a good thing, but without further proof...

"Um... Yaone..."

She glanced down at her lord's rather embarassed tone, eyes widening when she realized she'd practically shoved herself onto his lap. Kougaiji was blushing ever so slightly and trying very hard not to stare at her breasts only a few inches in front of his face. Horrified and embarassed, she quickly stepped back with a hasty, "Oh...I'm so sorry, my lord!"

Dokugakuji glanced up, eying the two as they stood apart, both of them a little red. "Did I miss something?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Kougaiji answered, clearing his throat.

"Uh-huh. Right. So, what's the plan, find these bastards and make 'em talk a bit, or find the Sanzo party?"

"Both. I've learned something rather... interesting... from a servant. Apparently, she was tending _her_ and overheard a conversation. There's another way to complete the revival, one that doesn't need the sutras."

That nearly made her fall over, part of it with hope. If they didn't need the sutras, then there was no reason to continue attacking Sanzo, and... that hope was quickly squashed out, however. Genjyo Sanzo was a thorn in Lady Gyokumen Koushu's side. She would continue to order assassins and armies to track him down, if only to have his head jarred in formaldehide and placed on the alter to Gyumaoh. So much for that idea.

"Shit, Kou... if she doesn't need the sutras, then-,"

"-I know. She has no use for me."

Yaone instantly regretted any happy thoughts she'd had that maybe Sanzo wouldn't be on the hit list any longer. How stupid of her not to see what this meant for Kougaiji! If he didn't have a purpose, a mission to fulfill, Gyokumen Koushu had no use for him. Which meant his mother would remain locked away, and he would be shoved to the side, a puppet only to be brought out for ceremonial reasons. It would rip away the very small power base Kougaiji had built. Houtu Castle was divided between those loyal to Kougaiji and those loyal to Lady Koushu, but the division wasn't anywhere near even. It had grown slowly more in their favor, though, once people started realizing the concubine warming Gyumaoh's throne took sadistic to a new level of extremes.

Dokugakuji's shoulders slumped a little. "Man... she's good. Don't get me wrong, if I had the opportunity to drop kick her, I would, but... damn!"

"I don't think it's all her, though, Doku," Yaone said softly. "Granted, yes, she is a very good politician, but when her mind's set on something, it usually remains there until it's done. She wouldn't give up on our mission quite yet. At best, we manage to take the Maten Sutra. At worst, the Sanzo party kills us. Either way, it's a win-win situation for her."

"Which is why we kill two birds with one stone," Kougaiji interjected. "If we find the Sanzo party's trail again, eventually we'll run into the murderers."

"Hey, how much do you trust this servant?" Dokugakuji asked bluntly, eyes narrowed and suspicious. "And how'd you get one of _her_ servants to talk?"

Kougaiji shifted uncomfortably and wouldn't look at either of them. "First, she's never let me down before. Second... I have my ways." The way his cheeks turned even darker told them both Kougaiji had chosen a more... physical way of persuasion for the servant.

Dokugakuji chuckled, "Yeah, I bet. So, any ideas on where to-,"

There was a polite knock on the door followed by two armed guards. "Lord Kougaiji, Lady Gyokumen Koushu requests your presence at once," one of them said formally.

The prince's jaw tightened angrily, eyes snapping as he didn't budge from his chair. "Tell her I'm a little busy right now, and that whatever it is can wait until I'm done conducting my own affairs," he replied sharply.

The guard on the left bowed, ready to depart. The one on the right, the speaker for the two, remained stationed where he was at, a little paler than before. "My lord... with all due respect, my lord, I'd rather not tell her that."

No one needed him to elaborate further. The last person who brought Gyokumen Koushu bad news was still chained and rotting to Houtu Castle's outer defence walls. That had been a merchant informing her the brand of silk she prefered to wear was being discontinued. If the guard returned and repeated Kougaiji's message exactly, he'd be lucky enough to get death.

Kougaiji stood sharply, scraping his chair angrily back against the hard wood floors. Jaw still tight, eyes still narrow and snapping with contained anger, he ordered, "Dokugakuji, find out who's behind these murders. And have one of the trackers search and find the Sanzo party. They are NOT to be engaged in combat until I say otherwise."

Yaone wasn't the only one surprised by her exclusion from the mission. "Um... someone else?" Dokugakuji questioned, glancing pointedly at Yaone."

"Yes. Leong or Ito will do."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly to keep the knot of worry from making her voice shake, Yaone asked softly, "And what would you have me do, my lord?"

"Stay here. Watch Lirin. Work on those new explosives we'd discussed earlier this week."

"Oh... as you wish, my lord." This was the first time in all the years she'd served him that he'd ever completely excluded her from a mission. It felt... disgusting. It made her sick with worry that maybe she wasn't any use to him anymore. Or maybe... he suspected her activities when she disappeared and no longer trusted her! That made sense, especially considering how oddly he'd been reacting toward her for the last month or so. Watching her when he didn't think she would notice, throwing projects that were impossibly time consuming at her, things that kept her tied to Houtu Castle as much as possible and not by his side. He didn't trust her to guard his back. Yes, that had to be it...

His hand came into view, clawed fingertips gently pressing under her chin, forcing her to meet almost tender eyes. It made her chest tighten a little to see the understanding mixed with something much softer on his face. Kougaiji'd never looked at her like that before. It almost seemed... no, impossible. She almost thought that maybe he might feel for her as more than a servant or a friend. More like a potential lover. It was eeriely similar to the look in Sanzo's eyes as they lay in bed together, facing each other. Of course, his always carried that edge of something else, that little bit extra he tried to keep from showing and wouldn't ever give voice to. It was slowly coming out more and more, an unspoken fact between them that he did love her on some level. It was an expression she treasured dearly, something she knew very few people in his life ever saw. And, it was nearly the same look in Kougaiji's eyes now. But, he couldn't possibly...

"I'm sorry. I wish I could send you, I just... can't."

Yaone spun around and watched him leave, still wordless in shock. What... had just happened exactly? She felt Dokugakuji squeeze her shoulder, but was still too numb to do anything about it. Was she being punished, replaced, what? And he'd done it in front of people, in front of Dokugakuji! The strangers she could live with, but it was humiliating to be turned away in front of her friend and peer! This was just so confusing... his words, the look on his face, all the work she still had to do... Rubbing her temples to ease the headache as she left the meeting room, she checked to make sure Lirin was still asleep and guarded before walking quickly out to the dragon pens. She needed to get out of there, take some time away from this and think it through. And there was only one place she could think of to go.

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku flopped on the bed opposite of Hakkai's in the small bedroom. Hakkai had already taken his shoes, sash, tunic and bandana off and was now lounging on his own bed, reading a really, really big book. With tiny print. And no pictures. He'd asked if he could see it, and Hakkai had gladly handed it to him. Something called 'War And Peace'. He'd read the first page thinking it might be exciting (it said 'War' in the title, that meant lotsa fighting... right?), and to make Hakkai happy... then glady handed it back to him. Wow, that was really boring! How could Hakkai think that was so much fun when it made him want to fall asleep?

Flopping over onto his stomach, he continued to watch Hakkai, trying to think of something fun to do. Hakuryuu was curled up at Hakkai's side, fast asleep. Gojyo'd already left for the evening and taken the cards with him. And Sanzo... was meditating. Or, at least that's what he'd said when Goku asked if they could please share a room. _"I want peace and quiet away from all of you. Sharing a room with Gojyo guarantees that because he won't be there. So, bother me while I meditate and you better learn to heal!"_

He didn't buy it, not for a minute. Hakkai said meditation was a way of relaxing and finding peace with yourself. Sanzo was never relaxed. He was even more than never peaceful, either. No, Goku was pretty sure it was because Sanzo thought Yaone was going to come over and see him, and he wanted to be alone with her. His nose wrinkled slightly at that. Sanzo, having sex? With Yaone? He tried saying it all kinds of different ways, but it still sounded really weird in his head. He liked Sanzo. He liked Yaone. He just wasn't sure he liked them together.

Sighing heavily, Goku sat up, arms still wrapped around his pillow, eyebrows creasing over his eyes as Hakkai kept on reading, ignoring him. Hakkai knew about Sanzo and Yaone. He'd known for a long time. Did he think they were okay together? Maybe he didn't either, but wasn't saying anything. He debated only a moment longer about interupting Hakkai when he was obviously relaxing before he asked cautiously, "Hey, Hakkai?"

"Hmm?" Hakkai didn't look up from his book, but the quirked eyebrows were enough to tell Goku he had SOME of his attention. He turned a page, eyes moving quickly over the words. Goku couldn't even understand how he read so fast! Didn't it make his eyes hurt?

"I was just wonderin'... do you like Sanzo and Yaone?"

"They both have appealing qualities, yes."

Goku fumbled that around in his head for a bit before he gave up and said, "Um... okay?"

"Meaning, they're both very nice people."

Oh... "That's not what I meant! I meant, do you like them together. You know, as a couple?"

"I'm sorry, Goku, I'm afraid I don't know what you mean then."

Goku huffed, slumping his head down into his pillow and glaring over at Hakkai's peaceful, smiling face. He did so know what he meant! "So?" he pressed.

"So, what?"

"Hakkai!"

Hakkai finally looked up from his book, smile completely gone and a hint of the scariness inside him coming out through his eyes. "Goku, what I think of Sanzo's personal life isn't important, and I won't discuss it further. Please, try to understand that."

"But I don't get it! You've known for a long time! You knew, an' you never said anything, not even to Gojyo!"

"To Gojyo? Of course I wouldn't say anything to Gojyo. That's a sure way to get him killed!"

Goku growled in frustration, slamming his pillow down angrily on the bed. "It's not fair! You found out, an' you get to talk to him about it. I find out an' I'm not allowed to say anything at all!" He threw himself down on the bed, turning over on his side and giving Hakkai his back. Fine, he didn't have to talk about it! What did it matter anyway, everyone just thought he was too stupid to understand anything that went on!

He heard Hakkai's bare feet creak across the wooden floor, felt the dip as the older man sat down. He jerked his shoulder away when Hakkai placed a gentle hand on it, too angry to let him try and comfort him. Hakkai sighed wearily and said, "Have you tried just talking to Sanzo about it?"

"Yes!" He tried the first night he found out. Sanzo'd told him to shut up and not talk about it. But it was perfectly okay for Hakkai to! How stupid did they think he was not to know they talked about it sometimes? Not that he heard them, but Hakkai was the type not to let things like this go untalked about.

"I mean, sit down and talk without getting angry. Have you tried that?"

Goku was about to say yes before he realized he really hadn't. That night, he'd been really mad and really hurt. And, it had been raining, so Sanzo definately wasn't in a good mood, either. He turned his head just enough to meet Hakkai's gentle gaze out of the corner of his eye. "Can I really just talk to him?" he mumbled. If Hakkai said it was okay, then maybe it was.

"Just make sure you only talk in a room like this and without anyone else there to listen. This isn't just keeping a secret because Sanzo likes his privacy. This is keeping another person alive by staying silent. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

He nodded, frowning just slightly. "I think so. We've gotta stay quiet cuz Yaone's the enemy, an' if the rest of the enemies found out, she'd get hurt. Right?"

Hakkai nodded, reaching over to ruffle his hair. "That's exactly right. Why don't we get some sleep, and maybe tomorrow you can try talking to him."

Goku nodded, fluffing his pillow up a little as Hakkai stood and turned out the lights. He had just settled himself in when Hakkai called over gently, "And, to answer your question, Goku, yes I do approve of them. Don't you?"

"Not really."

"Oh, why not?"

"Because she's the enemy, an' enemies are supposed to try an' kill each other. How can Sanzo like her if she's gonna try an' kill him? An' how can I like her if I know she's gonna try and kill Sanzo?"

A sigh drifted over from Hakkai's side of the room. "Such is love."

Goku had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but he didn't think too much on it. Hakkai said a lot of things he didn't always understand. He closed his eyes, balling his pillow up even more. Maybe Hakkai was right about just talking to Sanzo. Maybe, if they talked, he'd understand better why Sanzo would ever like Yaone like that.

>>>>>>>>>>

Kougaiji knew something was amiss the minute he entered the throne room and and found it completely empty. No guards, no members of the court. Not even her pet human scientist. Gyokumen Koushu was sitting on the throne, her red nails clicking sharply against the stone, painted lips curved in a cat-and-canary smile. She was already enjoying herself, and they hadn't even exchanged pleasantries yet. Not good.

"Make it quick, I've got work to do," he bit out, not even affording her the courtesy of a bow. She was his father's toy, his whore. The only reason she had any power was because she held his mother as a prisoner. He would do what she asked because of this, but that was it. He owed her nothing beyond his duty.

"Oh, come now, Kougaiji, I'm practically your father's legal wife. Isn't it time you start calling me mommy?" she purred, lips spreading just wide enough to show her fangs, a white slash against blood red.

"Did you call me here just to remind me of this?" he demanded, fists clenching tighter as he fought the urge to just flame her here and now. She was bitch enough to do just what he accused her of. If this was the case, he would be far less than amused.

The smile remained on her face, but her eyes turned even colder, so chilling it very nearly made a shiver run down his spine. Afraid of her? Hell, no! He'd lived through god attacks, powerful youkais, Nii's experiments, and several run-ins with the Sanzo party. He wasn't afraid of his father's concubine! It's just he knew that look in her eye very well. It meant something extremely bad happened, something he wasn't going to like at all.

"Seira, come here!"

Kougaiji couldn't keep the surprise off his face as the serving girl responded, coming out from behind the throne. Seira... his spy. The girl he occassionally shared his bed with. She'd come to him and offered her aid... and then offered him more intimate services. Seira was a very kind girl, one who risked a great deal for his cause, who never complained if he happened to call another woman's name in the throws of passion. He watched, silent and willing himself to take even, steady breaths as she moved to Gyokumen Koushu' left hand side. Something wasn't right with her. Usually, the servants practically sang with nervous energy around the woman. He didn't pick up anything from Seira. Not a damn thing. No aura, no fear... just an emptiness that was startling. It took him a moment longer before he spotted what was wrong. No... There, on her upper arm, was a bar code tattoo.

"You gave her to HIM?" he demanded, dragging his gaze from Seira's very obedient frame with difficulty, his whole chest aching. She'd come to him, bargaining information in exchange for his promise to keep her safe should anything happen. She'd come crying and begging him to protect her. And... he'd failed her. Gyokumen Koushu found out she'd been spying for him and had fixed the problem very neatly.

"She's so much more obedient like this, don't you think? And she's much more focused on my nails than before," Gyokumen Koushu purred, thoroughly amused by the whole thing. "Seira, I have a task for you."

Seira turned blankly toward her voice, eyes dull and without any spark to show her true self still existed. Kougaiji couldn't supress the shudder this time. Was that what he'd looked like under Nii's influence? Nothing more than a living doll? And Yaone was the one to witness it first hand... He hadn't truly appreciated until now just how difficult it must have been for her, and for Dokugakuji, to see him reduced to this husk of flesh and bone.

A flash of metal drew his attention back to the woman on the throne. Gyokumen Koushu pulled out a long, thin knife from somewhere inside her revealing kimono and handed it to the girl, who took it without ever blinking an eye. "I want you to kill yourself. Stand right in front of Kougaiji and plunge that knife into your guts. You did just fine on my nails, but my toes are horrendous." Seira remained standing there with the knife resting in her palms, completely unmoving. Kougaiji half hoped that maybe she was fighting Nii's control, fighting that voice that wasn't hers. He knew exactly what it was like, to be trapped and listening to thoughts and words that weren't his own, bidding him to do things he would have never done. It was like the conscious part of the brain was lulled to sleep, unable to wake from the nightmare. _Please, Seira, fight this! You've got to fight..._

"I'm waiting, Seira."

Slowly, Seira began to move down the stairs, the knife still naked and gleaming coldly in her hands.

Kougaiji remained frozen in horror as she stopped about ten paces in front of him. "Seira... don't do this."

"She won't listen to you, Kougaiji. She listens to me, and me alone. Seira, do what I said NOW!"

Seira raised the knife in front of her in both hands, blade angled toward her stomach. It flashed forward sharply.

Kougaiji sprang toward her at the same instant, reaching for the blade even though he knew he'd be too late. He held back anything sharper than a hiss when his hands met icy metal shortly before the edges cut deeply into his own palms. Seira continued to push the knife home, uncaring that she was also cutting him more as he struggled to pull the blade free. Gods, it hurt... but he could take it, he had to! The blade continued to slip forward, cutting more and more of his flesh. He could only hope the damage wasn't too severe as he maintained his grip, skin slippery with his own blood. Blood blossomed over the front of her simple blue dress, his and hers mingling as the tip finally broke through and into her stomach. His hands were burning, aching and throbbing in time with his rapid pulse as he continued to fight, hands sliding up the blade as she slowly continued to drive it home. "Seira... STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!" He was losing. All the blood made it impossible for him to get a good grip. Slowly, the knife was slipping in deeper and deeper. He was losing...

She slumped forward against him when his raw palms finally connected with the guard along the hilt, eyes widening briefly before blood began to pour from her mouth. There was almost no change in her eyes as she died, still lifeless and without a soul to register the passing of a life. What told him she was dead was the utter limpness to her body as they both collapsed to the throne room floor, him on his knees and her on her back. Kougaiji pulled his hands away from the blade, closing his eyes tightly as his shoulders rocked forward, grimacing at the sickening feel of his own flesh slowly pulling free from the slippery metal. The throbbing got even worse so that he could almost see the blood surge out of his torn hands with each pulse beat.

"Kougaiji."

He looked up at the cold voice. Gyokumen Koushu's smile was no longer there, her lips finally matching the look in her eyes.

"Remember this the next time you think about seducing one of my servants into spying on me. You may leave now."

He met her gaze, held it as he closed his fingers around the knife hilt. The fact that his fingers still bent on their own was good. It meant the blade hadn't sliced through any tendons. Her eyes narrowed as he grit his teeth and jerked the knife free, threw it skittering across the throne room floor. Blood splattered in it's wake, deep crimson slashes against dark grey stone. He stood slowly, ignoring the searing pain in his hands as he grabbed Seira's wrist and hauled her weight over one shoulder, adjusting his grip as best as he could to keep the deep cuts from rubbing or tearing more than they already had.

"Believe me, I will," he replied before turning his back on her and leaving. He ignored her trying to call him back to shut the doors, continuing on down the halls, turning when necessary. Blood was stained over his white clothing, rapidly cooling in the open air. His hands felt like they were on fire and were hurting so bad it was near blinding him to all else around him. This wasn't good.

"Kou? Shit, KOU!"

Seira's body was lifted from his shoulders so fast that he almost fell over, catching himself with his forearms on the wall before he could actually go down. Blood sloshed from his palms along the wall and to the floor.

"Holy shit, what the hell happened to you? Gods, your hands... Kou, say something!" Dokugakuji easily carried Seira, leaning forward as much as he could to try and see Kougaiji's face.

Kougaiji kept leaning against the wall, blinking to try and keep his eyes focused on his worried swordsman. "Get... Yaone," he wheezed, doubling up at a new stab of pain shooting up his arms. Pain was good. It meant everything was functioning, no nerve loss. He'd take the pain over numbness any day.

"I'm on it, don't worry. Let's just get you outta the hallway first, okay?"

He shook his head stubbornly, nodding his head to the body slung in the taller man's arms. "Take... care of... her. I can... make it. Just... get Yaone."

Dokugakuji looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew better. Lips set in a thin, grim line, he nodded once and said, "Okay. You've got five minutes to get yourself in bed before I come back and help you, got it?"

Kougaiji nodded in response, watching after the swordsman as he hurried away before forcing himself to stand up straight, keeping both hands about head level to slow the blood flow. He just had to get to his room. Dokugakuji would get Yaone, and everything would be fine. Just as soon as Yaone came.

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo's eyes opened slowly as the knock repeated on his door, a little louder this time. Damn it... hadn't he JUST said he was meditating? If this was Hakkai with another dumb fucking question about tomorrow's route... His teeth clenched together tightly as he stood from the kneeling position he'd been in and went to the door in nothing but his jeans. He jerked the door open, pinning the man outside with his glare. "What?" he demanded, his irritation mounting as the man refused to look at his face and kept making little bows with every other word. Shit... this was going to be a long night.

"Please forgive my intrusion, Master Sanzo," the man said in the most humble of tones, his bowing relentless. Maybe he'd get lucky and the constant swaying motion would make the guy pass out. No, knowing his luck it would only make him dizzy and vomit all over his bare feet. Wouldn't that be great? "I know you must be very tired from your travels, and normally I would never dream of bothering so great and holy a man-,"

"Just cut to the chase. What do you want?"

"Me? Oh, nothing, Master Sanzo, nothing at all! I have a message, from you personal chef."

Sanzo quickly squashed the amusement that cut through his ire. Yaone, it had to be. Smart ass, throwing that little comment back at him. He leaned against the door frame, feeling slightly less inclined to tell the guy to fuck himself with a splintery broom handle. "Oh?" he questioned, noting the man swallowed heavily before continuing. The man was still nervous. Why? Was he really that intimidating?

"Yes. She wanted to know if you were dining alone tonight, or would one of your companions be joining you. I told her you already ate, Master Sanzo, but she very... kindly informed me that you had very specific dietary needs, ones that might possibly be fatal if not seen to right away."

Something told him Yaone had been a little less than 'kind' and that the man was being polite about the phrasing. No wonder the man was ready to piss himself. He didn't want to be known as the guy who killed a sanzo priest! Specific dietary needs... she was probably laughing her ass off over that one! "Tell my personal chef I'm dining alone and she better haul ass with the food."

The bowed and groveled all the way to the stairs before he turned and half ran, half fell down the steps. Sanzo permitted a small smile as he heard the man frantically tell Yaone to hurry, explaining how 'Master Sanzo didn't seem at all well'. The bastard...

Yaone came up the stairs, smiling even though it was apparent she was beat beyond belief. "So sorry it took so long, Master Sanzo," she teased, taking the hand he held out for her. Her cool skin slid over his, fingertips calloused from working on her bombs. He knew under the gloves, her arms had tiny burn scars scattered all over, none of them too serious or noticeable against her own naturally pale skin. He pulled her into the room, shutting the door after her, his fingertips brushing along the metal of her bracelets.

"How'd you find us?" he asked. Hakkai'd driven them right over a fucking cliff not even a day ago, the bastard. They'd used his reckless driving to their advantage and tried to lose the trackers following them. Obviously, the plan didn't work.

She smiled, slipping the bracelets off and returning to her true form. It made the hair on his body stand up to feel that prickling of energy rush free this close. Normally, he was standing a few feet back when she did this. It didn't feel so good this close, especially after he'd been touching her without any trace of aura. "Well, I did the usual. Back track to the last place we met, picked up your trail from there... and took a wild stab in the dark that you wouldn't press onward immediately after falling off a cliff and opted to stop here for the night."

Sanzo didn't bother trying to hide the little lift of lips that meant he was smiling. He seemed to be doing that a lot more around her. Weird. "So, what's wrong?" he asked, deciding she was entirely too pale for her own good. And those dark circles under her eyes almost looked like she'd been punched twice in the face. Add to that the fact that her stomach was making all kinds of racket, and he pretty much knew what was wrong. She'd worked herself too hard, again. Probably because that asshole prince ordered her to, again. And her, out of her deep sense of loyalty (this was meant with a healthy dose of sarcasm and an emotion completely new to him; jealousy) she probably worked much harder than she needed to, and that would explain perfectly why she looked this bad.

"Nothing's wrong. Just... I needed to get away for a few minutes and stop thinking about what needs to be done there. So, I came to see you. As difficult as it may be to believe, you do have a calming effect on me."

"A calming effect?" Not exactly what he WANTED to have an effect on...

Her smile widened as she pressed her forehead to his, hands resting on his lower back as he mirrored her. "You make it sound like a bad thing. Trust me, it isn't. It's wonderful, just... an unexpected perk to being with you."

Oh... When she said it like that, it didn't sound entirely bad at all. Especially the 'being with you' part. Lately, he'd begun to wonder if she actually was as busy as she claimed. Before, it had never been a problem to slip away for a day, maybe two. Now, he was lucky to get two hours with her before she sprinted out the door. And it was always because Kougaiji had something she needed to do, Kougaiji requested her presence at such-and-such time, Kougaji this, Kougaiji that... That was when he'd first labeled this sudden urge to pummel the youkai prince as 'jealousy'. It was pretty close to anger, but more personal. Now he could understand why so many men wanted to beat the shit out of Gojyo for sleeping with their girlfriends. Not that he thought Yaone was sleeping with Kougaiji... he hoped...

"Ow!"

Sanzo looked down at the startled protest, realized his hands were gripping her arms a little tightly and immediately eased up. He needed to stop thinking about that. Yaone wouldn't do that to him. Her loyalty was strictly from a business end...

_Kougaiji IS her master. If he ordered her to go down on him dressed like a clown, she'd have to. You never know..._

Where once before that little voice had made SOME sense, now it was spewing complete bullshit. Kougaiji wasn't the type to force someone in bed with him, and Yaone wasn't the type to take such orders lying on her back. No pun intended.

"What's wrong? Sanzo?" she asked, drawing back just enough to see his face more clearly, her instantly full of concern.

"Nothing," he said, and it was the truth. It was all just pure speculation that stemmed from jealous thoughts, and was therefore nothing unless it happened to be true. And, without further evidence of that, as far as he was concerned, it wasn't true at all.

She didn't believe him, he could tell that through the gentle rubbing along his lower back, the way she moved just a little closer to him, trying to comfort him. He could almost read the thoughts through her tired eyes. _I came all this way for comfort, and now I'm the one offering it._ Damn it... Pissed at himself for putting that resigned look on her face, he pulled her over to the bed, watching that look flutter from worry to confusion. He couldn't believe he was doing this. The last time had been when his master had strained himself in training with Shue years ago. He'd not done it since... and here he was about to attempt it again.

"Sanzo... no offense, but I'm really not in the mood for-,"

"I'm not either." As if he'd even consider sex when she looked that hellish! Gods, who did she think he was, Gojyo? Unlike that red-headed pervert, sex wasn't the only thing on his mind. He undid the sash tying her vest closed, pushing the garment off and folding it neatly onto the table by the bed.

"You're not?" she questioned, still confused by his intentions.

"No. Take off your shoes and stockings. Do these chains come off?"

Yaone nodded, the perplexion now evident in how her brows furrowed together. "Sanzo, what are you-,"

"Lay down, on your stomach."

She did as he asked, stripped down to nothing but the tight leather boustiere top and very short shorts. "Why am I doing this?" she asked.

"Are you going to bitch the entire time, or are you just going to let me do this?" he snapped. She was acting like he was going to ravish her any minute! He knelt by her side on the bed, cracking his knuckles lightly to loosen the joints.

"I'm not trying to bitch, I just want to know- oh! Oh, my God..."

Sanzo smiled to himself, pressing his thumbs down along the pressure points near her neck. That had shut her up pretty damn quickly. He moved further out, working at the knotted muscles across her shoulders, to the points near the joints, pausing to press down a little there. His master had explained the way pressure points worked to him. Some could cause serious pain or possibly even death. Others could help loosen muscles before or after a fight, thus making it easier to move more fluidly. Personally, he thought the only reason Koumyu Sanzo bothered mentioning it was so he could get free massages, but he'd always kept that little theory to himself. Right now, that knowledge was coming to use in making his girlfriend moan like he was having sex with her. Shit...

"Sanzo, where did you..." Her question got lost as he pushed his palms down her spine, felt a couple of the vertebrae pop under the pressure. Damn, was she tight! Her entire back felt like his shoulders after a long, drawn out, physical fight. Or anything longer than two hours stuck in the Jeep with a hungry monkey, a perverted water sprite and a psychotic driver. Gods, if she wanted to talk about stress...

"Stretch your arms out," he ordered, running his hands one more time up her back, feeling through the softened leather and even softer skin for any spots he might have missed. Where once before the muscles were hard and unwilling to loosen, they were now pliant and tension free. And, from what he could see of her face, she was practically having orgasms. He needed to remember this the next time they were in bed for other reasons.

Yaone did as he asked, eyes opening partially as he took one of her hands, thumbs moving in small circles across her palm, pushing carefully along the joints. "Thank you. This feels so wonderful," she murmured, watching him rotate her wrists, stretching the muscles out before working up her arm, pressing his plams flat and rubbing just slightly before smoothing down.

"Whatever. Is it working?"

"God, yes. I haven't felt this good in a while."

"Gee, thanks," he said sarcastically. He knew she hadn't meant it as an insult, he just liked irritating her a little.

"You know I didn't mean anything personal by it," she retorted, eyes fully open but gleaming with amusement, not anger.

He swung one leg across her, straddling her briefly before kneeling on the other side to work on her other arm. Gods, if she weren't so tired... any hopes of getting laid had died the minute he saw her in the door way, unfortunately. She didn't turn her head to watch him, obviously too relaxed to move more than she had to. No problem with that.

"He wouldn't let me go with him."

"Who wouldn't?" he asked, even though he knew perfectly well who she was talking about. It was the same person she'd been talking about the last three times she'd visited him.

"Lord Kougaiji. He and Dokugakuji are supposed to be picking up your trail again... and he ordered me to stay in Houtu Castle."

"So?"

"So... he's never done that before. No matter how much work I had to do, he always insisted I come along. I think... he might suspect something. About us."

"Again, so? What if he does? It's none of his damned business what you do with your free time." He was really not liking the direction this conversation was going.

"You don't understand, Sanzo. Lord Kougaiji doesn't trust me. He's saved me more times than I care to count. I've sworn to serve him and follow him loyaly. It kills me to think I've lost his trust. God... I would die for him, and he doesn't trust me to do it!"

Sanzo stopped working on her leg, sitting back as the coldness of jealousy rose inside him. She would die for him... "That's stupid," he said, speaking his thoughts out loud. It wasn't all jealousy that made him say that. It really was a stupid thing to say, and even more stupid if she actually went through with it someday.

Yaone pushed herself up on one arm, frowning at him. "What, him not trusting me? If he suspects I'm sleeping with you, he has every reason NOT to."

"Not that. You dying for him. That's one of the dumbest things you've ever said." He knew he'd started an arguement the minute she pulled away from him, hugging her knees to her chest. The jealousy was geared up for the fight, ready to take her on and daring her to argue with him on this. The other half of him, the one that didn't want to hurt her, was screaming at him to shut his fucking mouth. Unfortunately, it was quickly bitch slapped into place so that he met her gaze head on, unwilling to back down.

"How is that dumb? I owe him my life anyway."

"You owe him your _life_, not your death. And, further more, you don't technically owe him shit. he chose to help you, you didn't ask for it."

"But that's exactly the point! He chose to _save_ me," she corrected. "He didn't have to, but he did. I _do_ owe him. I owe him more than my life is worth for that kindness."

Sanzo sighed, rubbing his eyes. Gods, what wasn't she understanding? She was smarter than this, he knew that. "If that's how you truly feel, then you're worthless to Kougaiji." Saying that name was like spitting venom from his mouth. He was really starting to dislike the man.

"Excuse me?" she exclaimed, bristling angrily. He could understand anger. Anger was better than her blindly declaring she would die for her master any day.

"You heard me the first time," he continued stubbornly. "How can you serve him if you're dead? Aren't you more of an asset alive and well? I don't get why people say they'd die for someone or some cause when it's better to fight and stay alive. It's pathetic."

He watched her get up from the bed, quickly rolling her stockings back up her legs with angry jerks. "You know, I came here under the foolish notion that you might possibly show a little compassion, or at least just listen to me. I'm so sorry to have bothered you with my idiocy," she snapped.

Deep down he knew she wasn't really angry with him. She was stressed, she was tired, and he'd pissed her off by speaking honestly. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he stood as well, going over to where she had his back to him, struggling into her vest again. He placed a hand on her upper arm, trying to still her movements. "I never said you specifically were an idiot. The idea of wasting life for him by dying is."

She pulled away from him, whirling around angrily. "You've never once in your life felt you'd rather die than watch someone you cared about suffer, have you? You have no idea what it feels like, do you?"

That hit dangerously close to home and quickly switched the jealousy into anger matching hers. "Stop making assumptions about my life," he said coldly, taking a step back from her. She had know idea how that last cut him. Until his master had died, he'd thought he would have gladly taken any blow for the man, any harm that came his way. Koumyu Sanzo had known that... and demonstrated the only way he could to drive home how pointless it was to live entirely for one person. _You must be strong, Genjyo Sanzo..._ Damn her for bringing those memories back! "You don't know a goddamn thing about it!"

"No, I don't because you never talk about it!" she railed, eyes snapping with burning intensity. "You know everything there is to know about me, but I'm still in the dark about you!"

"And what exactly do you mean about 'caring for someone'?" he questioned, changing the subject quickly. He wasn't going to tell her shit, not when they were busy fighting. If he wanted to let her know, he would in his own time and way, not because she was pissed off at him. "How exactly do you care for Kougaiji? He's your master, not your lover. Or, at least it was that way the last time I checked!"

Yaone's lips parted before she raised her hands in an I-give-up gesture and shook her head slowly. "Oh, my God... I am NOT having this conversation with you! I have enough to deal with without worrying about my boyfriend's jealousy!"

"I'm not jealous," he said. He'd moved beyond that to being angry and ready to punch a hole in the wall while pretending it was Kougaiji's face. So much for not letting it bother him until he found out otherwise. He knew this was probably stemming from the comments she'd made about him not caring for anyone. She really had no idea how much that had hurt, how low a blow she'd actually struck.

"The hell you're not," she shouted. "You're behaving like a child fighting over his favorite toy!"

"First off, I've never thought of you as a toy. Let's just stop that little comparison right here so you don't start screaming about it later on."

"I would NEVER-,"

"Second, is it so wrong for me to wonder? The bastard's so fucking in love with you it's disgusting!"

Yaone drew herself up, closing her eyes for a few seconds to regain control of herself. "Lord Kougaiji," she said tightly and with a great deal of effort to keep her voice steady. "Is NOT in love with me."

"Bullshit," Sanzo sneered, snatching up his cigarettes and lighting one angrily. The nicotine hit his system and worked a little bit to calm him down. "I've seen the way he looks at you. Hell, even when he was fucking out of his mind, he looked at you like that! Why shouldn't I think you're with him behind my back?"

Her shoulder slumped forward, head bowed. It took him a moment to realize she was crying. She was crying, and he was the one to cause those tears. His stomach twisted guiltily, made him suck in another deep hit. Damn it... he'd made her cry. "How did this happen?" she whispered, sniffling lightly. "How did this go from being so pleasant to... this? All I wanted was to see you."

"It doesn't matter how it happened, just that it did," he stated, the rage disappearing completely from him. Shit, this was bad. Whoever said the truth would set you free was a fucking moron and needed to be shot. "The question now is what we do from this point on."

Yaone moved closer to him, hands touching his waist hesitantly before sliding around when he didn't pull away. Her tears fell against his bare shoulder, slipping down his skin as she continued to cry against him, pressing herself as close as she could to him. Deep down, he knew this was far from over. He knew this would rise again and cause even more problems. He knew this... but he couldn't stop himself from hugging her back. He kissed her shoulder and then her cheek, wishing he knew what exactly to do to stop her from crying. Relationships were such bullshit. One minute they were ready to rip each other's heads off, and the next she was crying and he wanted nothing more than to make it stop. He was insane, he had to be. Why the hell was he doing this?

_Because you're too far into it now. The thought of losing her scares you. That's why you're doing this. You don't want to let her go._

"I'm sorry," she said against his shoulder, words muffled and breath hot on his skin. "I'm sorry, I never meant... I can't believe I said those things to you. And, I wish I knew how to convince you I'm not seeing anyone else. Honestly, how could I when I'd lose not only a lover but a very dear friend?"

"You think we're friends?" he asked, teasing her. He knew what she'd meant.

Yaone laughed through the tears, smacking his ass playfully. "Can you try for one minute to act like a boyfriend and just hold me? I can't stay much longer, and I don't want to leave with us fighting."

"We're not fighting."

"Of course we're not. I'm bitching and you're ignoring me."

Sanzo almost smiled as she once again threw his words back at him. Unfortunately, that jealous little voice was still nagging at him while the rest of him was still more concerned with stopping the tears for him to smile. "No, it was more a differing of philisophical opinion than bitching." Which it basically was... at the start of the arguement.

She laughed again, drawing back enough to wipe her eyes. "Ah, I see. Then is our difference of philisophical opinion settled?"

"On my end, yes. What about you?"

Yaone nodded before leaning up and kissing him gently. "Yes, it is. I wish I could stay longer, but-,"

"Go. We'll be heading toward Peeraj next."

"Alright. I'll try to be there."

Sanzo removed the last of her tears with his thumbs, cupping her cheeks. "Hey, do me a favor and don't mention we're here, or that we're going to Peeraj. After Hakkai's driving almost killed us, a small break from the assassins would be appreciated. Once we leave Peeraj, I don't give a shit what you say. Besides, it's not like they won't pick up our trail anyway. Those three dumb fucks can't seem to stay out of trouble long enough for us to make any real progress."

Yaone nodded, fingers sliding over his wrists and covering his hands. "I'll see what I can do about that. And... I'm sorry."

"Shut up and go." He kissed her again quickly before watching her move toward the door and leave. He finished smoking his cigarette, running his fingers back through his hair as he pulled a chair out and sat down. Their first true arguement. Was that ever a bitch! Even as he hoped to the gods there wouldn't be another one like that again, he knew it was foolish to think so. The closer they got to each other, the more difficult it would be for them to maintain a somewhat normal relationship without outer influences effecting things. He deserved it, really, for ever expressing an interest in the enemy. Too late now, the damage was done. He wasn't giving up on her. He wasn't giving up on them. The only option was to just accept that future arguements were going to occur and deal with them as they came. Oh, and to work on the whole jealousy thing. He knew for as long as she serve Kougaiji, it would be there, but it was only an emotion, and emotions could be controled. He'd have to work on controling his jealousy around her.

Leaning back further in his chair and blowing out one last stream of smoke, Sanzo muttered to himself, "I really must be crazy." All this hassel just for one woman. How completely insane... but for once, he didn't mind the hassel. To him, Yaone was worth fighting tooth and nail to keep. Even if fighting tooth and nail meant with her.

>>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone returned Sparky to his stall, smiling sadly at the dragon as he began to bury his muzzle in the freshly chopped meat in his pen. Their arguement replayed itself over and over again the entire flight back. It made her chest ache to hear what they'd both said and accused each other of like that. She felt so awful. She knew it was triggered by stress, which only made her feel even worse. Sanzo didn't deserve that. He wasn't a punching bag. He was her boyfriend, and he'd tried to make her feel better. She couldn't be mad at him for having a different opinion about what exactly she owed Lord Kougaiji. But what he'd said about her sleeping with him...

Did it upset her? Absolutely! To have her boyfriend basically accuse her of cheating on him with her boss hurt very much. She would never do that, not to anyone and especially not to Sanzo. To hear the man she loved even hint at that... it was painful and it made her angry. Hopefully, he understood now that she wasn't doing any such thing, but what he'd said about the look on Kougaiji's face had struck a cord with her. Didn't she just think that earlier in the day? Didn't she just think that-

"Yaone, where the hell have you been? We've got an emergency and I've been all over the goddamn palace looking for you!"

Yaone blinked in surprise as Dokugakuji grabbed her arm and dragged her at a run into Houtu Castle. "Doku, what happened?"

"Kou's hurt," he explained, eyes wide and near frantic. "I think most of the bleeding's stopped, but he's been asking for you the whole damn time. Shit, where the hell did you go?"

She refused to meet his gaze. His grip tightened around her wrist almost painfully.

"Please, don't tell me... for the love of the gods, Yaone!"

"Reprimand me later, Dokugakuji. Where is Lord Kougaiji?"

Dokugakuji's angry glare promised he would be speaking to her much later. "In his room. Something happened and he grabbed the wrong end of a knife. Both his palms are cut pretty deeply, but it doesn't look like too much major damage occured," he filled in quickly. "He's got them up in the air, and I wrapped some ice against them."

"Excellent idea with the ice. Did anyone stitch the wounds?"

"Lixue did, but she's not a trained healer like you. Even she admits you might need to remove them and start from scratch. All she did was try to stop the bleeding a bit, but he's been going for a while now. We've been keeping fluids in him."

"How much blood was lost?"

"Alot."

"Define 'alot'," she insisted, pulling her arm free and rolling her gloves down and off her arms to tuck them into her belt. They'd finally come up on Kougaiji's rooms and she pushed the door open quickly, rushing to the bedside where Lixue, two guards and Lirin all huddled, Lirin trying very hard not to cry.

"Enough so that I almost asked Nii to help," Dokugakuji informed her, still angry. If she'd ever had any doubt that the swordsman guessed where she went, it was dispelled with that glare. He knew, and he wasn't happy in the least about it.

"Yaone's here," Lirin piped up, sitting up straighter, eyes widening eagerly.

"Thank the gods," Lixue said with relief, beckoning Yaone closer. "I did the best I could, Yaone, but this isn't my area of study."

Yaone sat on the edge of the bed, pressing her hand to Kougaiji's forehead and cheek, watching as his eyes briefly opened before slipping close again. "Lixue, go to my room and look along the shelves back by the medicine lab. You'll find a flat grey box on the third shelf up, left hand side. Bring that here." She pushed Kougaiji's eyelids open, saw the near unfocus in his eyes. "Was he drugged?"

"Yeah. Opium," one of the guards answered nervously. "Lady Lixue gave it to him, saying it would help numb the wounds."

"And it also makes it difficult to tell if blood loss has started to set in." She carefully began to peel blood spattered bandages from around the hand closest to her, handing off the melting ice packs to the hand that reached for them, controling her surprise to see it was Lirin who was taking them and setting them aside. "How long have you been here, Lady Lirin?" she asked gently.

"Not too long," the girl said nervously. "I wanted to come play with big brother, an' found him like this. Is he gonna be okay, Yaone?"

"I'm not sure yet. You might want to leave the room, Lady Lirin."

She shook her head stubbornly, the bells in her hair chiming with the movement. "No way am I leavin'! Kougaiji always stayed for me when I got patched up. I'm gonna stay with him, too."

Yaone gave her a resigned smile, admiring the girl's firm determination. She wouldn't remind Lirin of the fact that she'd be using needles to sew her brother's hands. As much as Lirin hated needles, she wasn't going anywhere. Kougaiji groaned, eyes opening on their own and regaining a little focus. His lips moved, and it took him a couple tries before he muttered. "Yaone..."

"I'm here, my lord," she answered, relieved he was responding. "Just stay still, please." She finally peeled the last bandage free, dropping it to the ground with the rest of them, before wincing at the very poor sewing job Lixue had done. She couldn't blame the other woman for trying. After all, she herself wasn't there and Lixue was about the only other person with any medical training that they trusted. Dokugakuji knew how to survive with an injury, but he didn't know much about repair. Once again, she cursed herself for disobeying Kougaiji and leaving. If she hadn't left...

_You wouldn't have fought with Sanzo, you would have been here for Kougaiji, and none of this would have happened!_

God, so much would have been better if she'd just stayed here like she'd been ordered to! Lixue came running in with her first aid kit, and she quickly pushed all thoughts of self-loathing aside to help Kougaiji. She removed the stitches in place first carefully, not once glancing down when his fingers jerked or his body shifted uncomfortably. "This is going to hurt, my lord," she explained just before she flexed his fingers, opening the cut a little.

Kougaiji jerked sharply, holding back a scream.

Yaone held his arm tightly while Dokugakuji ordered the guards to help keep Kougaiji still. Blood began to flow more freely, allowing her to sterilize the gash, lips set grimly as she looked at the torn skin. This wasn't a clean cut. He'd held onto the knife for some time while it sawed into his skin. The edges weren't frayed as they would have been with a serated edge, but neat and precise. A sword or a stabbing knife, designed for ease of entering flesh. "Who tried to kill him?" she asked.

"No one," Dokugakuji explained. "Gyokumen Koushu had that bastard of a scientist brainwash someone. She ordered the servant to kill herself and Kougaiji tried to stop it. Or, that's what I've been able to piece together from his ramblings and from what I witnessed when I found him stumbling out of the throne room with a body."

She listened to all this, thumb pressing against the veins and arteries in his wrist to help stop the blood flow from pouring out. "Lixue, hand me that glass capsule."

The woman nodded, eyes wide and skin a little paler at the sight of so much blood. Yaone flipped the little rubber stopper off with her thumb, carefully pouring the rusty colored powder into the wound.

"AAHHH! GODS!"

"Hold him steady," Yaone shouted, gritting her teeth as Kougaiji's knee connected with her back hard. She could understand his reaction to it perfectly.

"What the hell is that stuff?" Lirin asked, her green eyes threatening to fall from her head as her brother continued to thrash, trying to free his hand from Yaone.

"It's designed to help catarize a wound. The only problem is, it hurts almost worse than the wound itself. With so much blood though, I have to stop it before I can start sewing," she explained.

"If I ever get an injury like that, keep that shit away from me," Dokugakuji exclaimed, staring at the powder like it was poison.

Yaone waited a few more seconds for the powder to stop up the blood to a point where she wasn't afraid of him losing anymore and asked Lixue to hold a little pan so she could pour disinfectant in it. She soaked the thread and needle in the water before readjusting her grip on Kougaiji's wrist. Slowly, she began to sew the edges together, deciding that, while it was deep, it didn't sever anything but tissue internally so there was no need to do any internal sutures. Kougaiji's whole are was shaking, but he'd stopped screaming. She could tell from his breathing that he was now fully alert, the effects of the opium wearing off in this new wash of pain.

"When... did you get... here?" he ground out, still managing to sound angry through the pain.

"Not too long ago, my lord. I'm sorry I wasn't here at the start," she answered, knowing she owed him a much better apology than that later when she wasn't distracted. "Just try to remain still, if not relaxed."

"Relaxed? Not... possible!"

She glanced up with a little smile as Dokugakuji chuckled. "Man, Kou, I do NOT envy your position right now for anything! She's friggin' barbaric!"

"Keep on laughing, Doku, and I'll slip a laxative into your food," she joked.

Dokugakuji burst out into full laughter, pulling a chair up to the bed side and shaking his head. "What'd I tell you? I guess it's a good thing she likes us, eh, Kou?"

"Yeah," Kougaiji muttered, but it was with the warmth of amusement this time, not anger.

Yaone finished that hand, wrapping it up tightly with fresh gauze. After checking to make sure that Kougaiji could bend and flex his fingers fairly well, she crawled across him to his other side, unable to move due to the fact that Lixue and Dokugakuji were both crowding that side of the bed. From this angle, she was facing Kougaiji directly as she began to unbind his other hand, blush staining her cheeks when she felt him watching her intently.

"Where did you go?" he asked as she passed the ice pack off to Lirin while discarding the wrappings on the floor.

"I... went to find the Sanzo party. Like you requested me not to," she answered, horrified that she'd just lied to him. Only a little bit, but it was still a lie.

"I see." He inhaled sharply as she cut through the stitches on that side and pulled the wound back open. "I shouldn't have ordered you to stay," he said quickly, sweat beading his brow as he fought to try and remain still.

"My lord, you order me as you see fit. I shouldn't have disobeyed you, and I'm more sorry than you'll ever know about that. I was reckless and careless, and if I hadn't left, I would have been here-,"

"Stop, Yaone. This isn't your fault. Even if you were here, it would have still happened."

Yaone paused in cleaning the wound, looking down at him. "My lord... I disobeyed you. If you don't see fit-,"

"I'm not releasing you. You swore to serve me, and follow me. If that's what you want to do, then that's what I'm holding you to. But... can we discuss this after you're done putting me back together?"

"Oh! Yes... of course... I'm so sorry!" Yaone quickly returned to her task, her relief that he wasn't more angry than this hitting her hard enough she thought she might pass out. He had every reason to discharge her, throw her out of the Castle. He should just tell her to leave now, that he couldn't relie on her for anything...

_Which would then free your obligations to him so you could be with Sanzo and not have to worry about betraying either one of them._

She stopped in midstroke as that selfish little thought entered her mind. How could she possibly think like that when Kougaiji was injured? Was she really that hellbent on herself that she'd ignore him? Yaone returned to her task, now furious with herself for even thinking such a thing. Even if Kougaiji DID fire her, she'd still be indebted to him. Being with Sanzo wouldn't change that. She didn't believe for one minute what he'd said about it being foolish to die for someone. She had precious little to offer to Kougaiji. Yes, she was an experienced healer. Healers could be purchased anywhere. Yes, she was pretty good with explosives. Explosive engineers could also be found anywhere. But what she could offer that they couldn't was her undying loyalty. They would work for him for money, but they wouldn't die to protect him. She would. It was the only thing she could offer him over most anyone else, save perhaps Dokugakuji.

Once she'd finished wrapping his other hand and was done cleaning up the area and herself, Kougaiji glanced at everyone in the room and said, "Leave us. We need to talk alone for a bit."

Yaone's stomach was a knot of panic as everyone left, Lirin complaining the entire time. The door clicking shut was louder than it should have been, almost louder than her heart hammering in her ears. This was it. He was going to fire her now. She just knew...

Kougaiji's hand closed awkwardly over her own, fingers closing stiffly around hers. "You had me worried, you know. When Dokugakuji said he couldn't find you. I thought for sure Nii had dragged you into his lab."

"Why would you ever think that, my lord?" she asked, sitting on the edge of the bed again. Even now, he was thinking of others instead of himself. And here she was thinking how much easier everything would be if he just got rid of her!

"Because of what happened earlier. That servant... she was the spy. Gyokumen Koushu found out and gave her over to Nii to brainwash. It just made sense that they'd try and get you as well. If my healer's out of commission and I get injured badly, I can either see Nii or die. Either way, it works with her plans."

"Ooh, my lord..." Yaone pushed the damp hair back from his cheek carefully, tears burning her eyes. "I was upset earlier. I left because I thought maybe you didn't trust me."

"Yaone, you're one of the few people I _do_ trust," he replied, cutting her off. "I should have known you'd go and find them on your own. Did you?"

Staring into his eyes, Yaone fought with herself over this information. Sanzo had asked her not to... but she'd already failed Kougaiji so much. She couldn't do it again. Taking a rough breath before closing her eyes as the tears finally broke free, she whispered, "Peeraj. I think they're heading for Peeraj."

Kougaiji squeezed her hand warmly, settling back better into his pillows. "You need some rest. Take the rest of the day off and get it. We'll discuss what to do with this information in the morning."

Yaone nodded and left, hugging herself all the way to her room. She didn't make it much farther than it took for her to shut the door and slide her back down against into, giving way the tears fully. God, what had she done?


	32. Chapter 32 MATURE

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This MATURE CHAPTER goes out to those peeps who wanted more sexiness. And this is pretty friggin graphic compared to the last couple, just so we're all on the same page. So, having cleared myself like that, it's time for some much deserved props.  
First props of the evening goes to Jesse Katz, who alone has permission to post the Unedited Version of this fanfic. It's extremely flattering to have it posted on her site, so thank you very much, my dear. Everyone, be sure to check it out and make sure to give her lots of hugs and kisses. The second props goes to blahsblah2001 for the fanart she did for this fic. Sankyou, lovey! It's up on Deviant Art under her same screen name, or if you look it up under mine, it's in my favorites section.  
So... are we clear this is MATURE? As in, more MATURE than the last MATURE? Okay, then you may read on...

>>>>>>>>>

Gojyo finished off the last of the youkai assassins, leaning wearily on his shakujou. "Goddamn it... can't these bastards give us just a little break? I'm fucking sweating like hell!"

"I agree, we're getting more of a work out than usual," Hakkai added, wiping the sweat dripping from the end of his nose off. "It's amazing they found us so quickly. I thought for sure taking a slight detour would throw them off."

"Wait, don't even begin to tell me you drove us over that cliff on purpose," Gojyo threatened.

"What?" Goku shouted, jumping down out of the tree he'd climbed up to chase one of the assassins shooting arrows at them. "That's so not cool, Hakkai! We almost lost all the food drivin' over like that!"

Hakkai laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish little smile. "The important thing, Goku, is that we didn't."

"Yeah, I guess so. But that still really sucked, y'know."

"My apologies."

"So, where to now?" Gojyo asked around his cigarette, flicking the lighter a couple times until a flame sprang, turning the end a soft orange color. He blew the smoke out sharply, pocketing the lighter again before shaking the long, tangled strands of hair back behind his shoulders. "I mean, we only got one night in that last place before these assholes came and bothered us. So, is it camping for a bit or trying the next town?"

"Hm... I'm not really sure. I must say, that one night in Peeraj was a bit of a disappointment."

"Tell me about it. Four days of non-stop attacks just to get there to find it's a total shithole, then to not even get a good night's sleep because we get attacked AGAIN... man, Gyumaoh's assassins need to get another hobby. Like getting laid or somethin'."

"Ewww... why would they wanna do THAT?" Goku cut in, making a disgusted face.

Gojyo rolled his eyes and shoved the younger boy away roughly. "Yeah, like you're anyone to talk, Mr. I-wanna-date-so-I-can-have-sex!"

"I never said that!"

"Buuullshiiit!"

Hakkai used the excuse of those two fighting to go over to where Sanzo stood apart from it, seemingly oblivious to the bickering. Neither of the other two had noticed the concerned crease tightening between the monk's eyebrows. But Hakkai had, and he also had an idea as to what put it there in the first place. "Sanzo, is something wrong?" he asked softly, keeping his voice down so it didn't draw any unnecessary attention.

"Just thinking," he muttered, straightening the sleeves on his robe as he stored his gun once more. There was a sharpness to the motions that told him whatever Sanzo was thinking about was not pleasant.

"About the quick recovery on the assassin's part?" he pressed.

"Yeah."

He'd sort of figured that was what had been bothering the man after three days straight of youkais tracking them down to try and kill them. Sanzo had gotten very quiet, or more so than usual for him, with an almost thoughtful look to his eyes. If anyone else noticed their usually acerbic companion's change of mood, they didn't say anything about it.

Hakkai removed his monacle, blowing on the glass and rubbing it on a not-so-dirty section of his tunic before holding it up for inspection. The fight had now moved from shouted insults to full out swinging and rolling across the ground. Neither he nor Sanzo did anything to stop it. "You don't think maybe _she_ said something, do you?" he continued.

Sanzo ground his cigarette out and didn't say anything, which said the thought had occured to him and he didn't like it at all.

Sighing and replacing the eye piece, sad green eyes met cool violet ones as he shook his head. "You do. Sanzo..."

"It makes sense," Sanzo quietly stated. "She knew where we were and where we were heading. How else can you explain it?"

"No, she wouldn't do that, not to you," Hakkai insisted firmly, lips set in a thin line. He'd guessed correctly which way the blonde's thoughts were wandering, and if he didn't stop them now, Sanzo could very likely lose one of the best things to ever happen to him.

"How do you know?"

He sighed again and smiled, knowing it was a touch wistful and bitter at the same time. Seeing Sanzo over the past few months change ever so slightly made his chest ache with what he'd lost. He couldn't let that happen to another person. "I don't have any physical evidence," he answered slowly. "But I do understand her, and I understand you. She cares very much for you. Why else would she keep coming back?"

"Gee, thanks."

"You know what I mean Sanzo. Let's be honest, you're not the most agreeable of people and you know it. She's either insanely masochistic or incredibly understanding to put up with some of your mess. And, seeing as she's never struck me as being insane, it must mean the second. I'd hate for you to behave your normally, stubborn cantankerous self and lose something like that. Finding someone who truly knows you as a person is a very rare and gifted thing.

It was obvious from the shifting of one foot to another that the idea of flat out asking her was exactly what Sanzo had in mind. "Are you suggesting I ignore the possibility?" he asked. This was the closest to uncertain he'd ever heard the monk, which was both amusing and alarming at the same time.

"I'm suggesting you don't give voice to your suspicions until you discover evidence supporting it. If you go on the offensive and accuse her outright, there's a very good chance you'll lose her. We've been tracked since the day we left on this journey. Just think about that before you say anything." His smile reappeared as if by magic as he walked away and toward the two now thrashing about int the underbrush. "Excuse me, but we _are_ in a public place. Would you mind keeping the foreplay for the bedroom?"

"WHAT?" both of them shrieked, quickly scrabbling away from each other and clawing their way out of the bushes and undergrowth.

"Man, you're sick, Hakkai! I don't do the whole beastiality thing."

"Yeah, and that's just gross anyway!"

"God, what did you two get into back there? You smell awful!"

Sanzo exhaled a line of smoke slowly, stomach twisting fiercely before he went over to join them. Everyone continued to banter back and forth, except for him. Deep down, Hakkai's words rang through him over and over again. He had a good point, about the youkai always finding them when they've gotten lost or sidetracked before. This time was no different than those other times. So why did he feel like it was? He'd learned long ago to follow his gut instinct in these situations, and it hadn't let him down before. Right now, his gut was telling him that it was odd that they were found and attacked almost immediately the day after he'd told her. Then again... Hakkai was right. If he went in swinging, she would probably walk away. He didn't want that to happen. If she left him... but then again, if she actually _had_ betrayed him... Gods, this was complicated! He hated complications. So, how the hell did he end up involved in something like this?

He let out another long breath, this one not laced with cigarette smoke, and climbed into the front of the Jeep next to Hakkai. Gojyo and Goku were both stretched out in back, breathing hard and smelled like they'd rolled through shit. He spared them a glance before muttering, "Drive." He'd think about it a little later, after a little food and a lot of booze.

Hakkai took off down the road, leaving a trail of dust and dirt kicking up behind them and falling down over the bodies they'd left behind.

>>>>>>>>>>

Yaone hurried down the hall, trying to keep herself from just sprinting to the dragon pen. The orders had been passed down not even an hour ago. All assassination attempted on the Sanzo party were to be haulted for the next week due to Gyokumen Koushu's birthday. It had been assumed that she'd order the attacks doubled for the event, but apparently the woman decided it was more important for all of Houtu Castle to show their respect and devotion to her instead. Which was fine with her, by all means. Ever since she'd told Kougaiji Sanzo's location, she'd been near sick with worry and disgusted with herself for having betrayed him.

Kougaiji had been planning on keeping the information exclusive to the three of them, but somehow Gyokumen Koushu had found out and ordered the attacks to begin immediately. It had been a shock to everyone involved, and made Kougaiji furious. He'd quite literally ripped his room apart to try and find the hidden bugs in the room. He'd only found seven, but there was no telling if Nii had planted more or not. Dokugakuji's room had been next, followed by hers. The final count of bugs for the three rooms was seventeen... and one very small hidden camera. Strategically placed in her shower. The last had sent Kougaiji into a type of rage that she'd never seen from him before he stormed off, fists clenched and hair whipping behind him. Dokugakuji had sprinted after him, leaving her to stare at the hole the prince had punched in one of the walls. She could understand why he'd be angry and upset... but violent? That wasn't like him. He was acting more like...

_Like Sanzo._

Once again, the idea that maybe her employer felt a little more for her than he let on creeped up on her. Before Sanzo, she would have been ecstatic at the possibility, but now... It frightened her just a little. Sanzo was very perceptive and very observant. If he so much as caught a glance from Kougaiji in her direction, she knew they were done. He'd already voiced his suspicions that they were sleeping together behind his back. It made the possible confrontation over giving out his location in Peeraj just a little more frightening to her. Oh, she wasn't afraid of him harming her or anything! It was more like she was afraid him leaving her. She'd been so upset over seeing Kougaiji in that condition that she'd slipped. A very poor excuse and she knew she deserved every minute of his ire. After all, what she did was tantemount to throwing him to the wolves. If he decided to end things because of that, she wouldn't blame him in the least. She would accept it quietly before returning to Houtu Castle to wallow in misery.

She shook her head to clear it from those thoughts as she quickly tossed the saddle onto a startled Sparky's back. Of course... how was he to know she did it anyway? Sanzo was extremely smart, and what he didn't know for certain he usually could piece together. But unless he had concrete evidence to prove otherwise, he had no reason to even suspect her. Which meant, if she expected to stay with him, she should not mention anything unless he did. She paused in tightening the girth strap, pressing her head against the warm hide in front of her. The dragon picked his head up, blinking large confused eyes at her. No, that was a little too close to lying, Yaone thought as she fitted the harness around his muzzle, adjusting the straps so they fit comfortably against the soft leathery hide. She scratched an eye ridge and tugged on the reigns to get him to start walking. Sparky grumbled a little, smoke blowing from his nostrils, but he followed her anyway out of the pen and into the open area used for take-offs and landings.

This was a disaster. On the one hand, she was so overjoyed at the idea of being able to spend two whole days with him, and on the other she was terrified of that very same thing. How was she to face him knowing she'd done that? She didn't want to spend two days fighting and trying to salvage their relationship. She wanted to spend it with _him_. What to do, what to do?

"Where the hell are you going?"

Yaone yelped, foot slipping free of the stirrup as she jumped and spun around, back pressed to Sparky's side. She closed her eyes, shoulders sagging in relief. "God, Doku... please, don't sneak up like that!"

Dokugakuji's stern face cracked a little as an amused smile fought to surface. "Sorry, I thought you saw me coming over."

"I didn't, please excuse me." Yaone swung up into the saddle, flipping the reigns over Sparky's neck neatly.

Dokugakuji wrapped a hand around the chin strap of the harness, effectively blocking her flight. "You never answered my question," he pressed.

She met his hard, suspicious gaze and felt her jaw tighten firmly. She wasn't going to lie to him, but she certainly wasn't going to tell him the truth either. Why bother when it was obvious he at least guessed the truth?

The swordsman sighed, hanging his head. "Shit, Yaone... Do you know how dangerous this is for you? If someone found out, you'd be dead. You'd be charged with treason and executed, and not even Kougaiji can save you from that. And all because of what, some dude with pretty green eyes?"

Yaone blinked, eyebrows pinching nearly together. "You think I'm seeing Hakkai?" she asked incredulously. Hakkai... whatever would make him think she'd be interested in Hakkai?

"You mean you're not?" he asked back, head snapping up in shock.

Shit, she'd slipped up! She blushed and looked away from him, unable to meet his earnest gaze and refused to answer.

"Then who?" he continued, trying to bend lower and catch her gaze. She glanced up in time to see Dokugakuji's eyes widened slowly as another possibility came to mind. Then, just as quickly as the shock was there, it disappeared when his face went livid with rage, eyes narrowing and fists shaking. "I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him myself..."

Yaone swallowed heavily, icy fear trailing up and down her spine. "Doku..." She wished to God she could just jerk the reigns free and take off without him getting furious with her. Judging by his reaction, he'd figured it out. He'd figured out and was even more angry than she'd expected. She wasn't looking forward to the conversation to come.

"That stupid, red-headed punk! When I get my hands on him..."

Red-headed... oh! He thought it was Gojyo? "No, Doku, please just... just drop it," she begged, pressing her heels into Sparky's side. The dragon began to edge around Dokugakuji, haulting when the man refused to release the reigns. Sparky made a protesting grumble, eyes glittering angrily in the man's direction.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me who the hell you're seeing. I've kept it to myself for a long time now, even covered for you when you've up and vanished. I deserve an explaination," he insisted firmly.

Yaone sighed, closing her eyes tightly. "And what makes you think it's any of the Sanzo party?" she asked softly, hoping to throw him off track.

"I wasn't certain until recently," he answered. "When you came back with the location, that is."

She blushed, glancing away when he mentioned the very subject that had been troubling her. It wasn't exactly something she was proud of, no matter how pleased Kougaiji had been with her. Perhaps if she told him she'd had no choice... no, that wouldn't go very well either. Whether he would admit it or not, she knew he was fiercely jealous of her lord. The last time she'd seen him, just mentioning his name had thrown him into a fit. The third choice of not saying anything unless he brought it up was starting to look very appealing.

"Ah, shit!"

Yaone peeked out from behind her bangs as Dokugakuji released the reigns reluctantly. "Doku?"

Dokugakuji smiled, but there was nothing happy about it. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm acting like an asshole. It's none of my business, but..." he shook his head. "I guess it's just my overprotective nature comin' out again."

She relaxed, shoulders rounding a little in relief as he dropped the subject. Yaone held her hand out to him, and he hesitated only a second before taking it and returning her friendly squeeze. "You're a dear friend, Dokugakuji."

He shrugged, the smile turning into a wide grin that lit up his dark eyes. "Yeah, what can I say? I'm such a stand-up guy! So long as you're happy..."

"I am." _Just so long as Sanzo doesn't find out, that is._

"I swear to the gods, whichever one of them you're seeing, if they hurt you... no mercy."

A smile twitched her lips at the threat she was fairly certain he would never deliver. "Not even for you brother?"

"ESPECIALLY not for his sorry ass," Dokugakuji chuckled, stepping to one side and jerking his head toward the door. "Now, get outta here before someone sees you. If anyone asks, are you sick again?"

"I'll leave it to your discretion." With that, she pressed her heels to Sparky's sides and sent the dragon forward at an awkward lope. He picked up speed, wing joints creaking as they unfurled, catching the wind and flapping. She leaned forward in the saddle as he jerked off the ground sharply, beating hard to get clear of the ground enough to fly at a comfortable altitude. Dokugakuji's shape soon dwindle down to a small shadow against the dark grass as they quickly flew away.

>>>>>>>>>>

Gojyo tossled his hair, cigarette clamped between his teeth. He'd borrowed (or stolen, seeing as he didn't exactly ask for permission) one of Hakkai's t-shirts, the dark grey one, which fit a little tighter than his own shirts. Hakkai wasn't built like him, thank the gods. He was pretty and could get girls as he was, but if he were ripped out... Gojyo didn't want competition from his own friend. "It still sucks ass that a holy cocksucker gets his own room, while we get crammed into this one," he muttered.

Hakkai was stretched out on the bed, having gotten ready to go out in about ten minutes, including shower time. Of course, the bastard's hair dried a lot faster and he didn't use any sort of product in it. "It's really not all that small a room," Hakkai mused, staring up at the ceiling with Hakuryuu curled up on his stomach. He was nervous. He didn't want to go out, but between Goku begging and Gojyo bullying, he was.

Chuckling, the red-head flipped his hair forward and back once, satisfied with the way it looked. "Dude, I don't know how you got away with insisting Sanzo take the smaller room, but it worked and I fucking idolize you."

Hakkai smiled, lifting the near sleeping dragon as he sat up. Hakuryuu made an annoyed little chirp before fluttering angrily over to Goku's empty bed and curling up on the pillow. He huffed, closed his eyes and folded his wings back, instantly falling asleep. "Well, the key is to not give him a choice while appearing to actually do the opposite."

"Oh." Not that he really understood what the green-eyed man had just said. It was either one or the other, right? Give a choice or don't give a choice. Whatever. So long as it worked, he was cool with whatever Hakkai did. Gojyo knocked on the bathroom door sharply, frowning when he heard a lightly muttered 'shit' from behind the door. "Yo, monkey, quit jerking off and let's go! You said you wanted to do this, and if we don't hurry all the hot ones will be gone."

"I'm comin'! Just... hold on a second, okay?"

"What the hell are you doing in there?"

"Nothin'!"

Gojyo scowled, glaring at the door. Hakkai was laughing quietly from the bed. What, did he think Gojyo was kidding? It was already nine and within the next half hour all the decent ones would have guys on them trying to pick them up. "Nothing my ass, open the goddamn door!"

"No! I mean, just gimme a couple more..."

Fuck this! Gojyo opened the door quickly, catching Goku off guard at the sink and making the boy yelp, dropping something into a sink of murky soap water. "GOJYO! What the hell?" He was furiously wiping something white off his cheeks.

Gojyo shook his head, leaning against the door frame with his arms across his chest. "Now, what the fuck are you doing that for?"

Goku's cheeks were obviously red under the shaving cream still smeared over his face. "I... I... was just tryin' to make a good impression," he mumbled.

"You don't have jack shit to shave, you stupid ape! Get that shit off your face, get dressed and let's get the fuck outta here," he shouted before slamming the door.

Hakkai's eyes were wide and holding the promise of barely contained laughter as he strolled back into the room, crushing his cigarette out in the tray. "Was he...?"

"Yeah, the little bastard was trying to shave," Gojyo snickered. "Stole your razor and my gel."

"Oh, dear... does he even know _how_ to shave?"

The sharply shouted, "OUCH!" answered that question.

"Goddamnit, didn't I say to stop pretending to be a man and get your ass ready?" Gojyo shouted, banging on the door.

"Gojyo, I cut my lip," Goku's muffled voice called through the door. The tone used sounded almost as if he'd been told Christmas would never come again.

"Now, why the fuck would you shave your lip, dumb ass?" He stepped back as Hakkai came forward, knocking gently on the door.

"Goku, may I please come in?"

"Uh-huh," the boy whined.

Hakkai twisted the door knob and went in, going over to inspect Goku's lip while Gojyo watched the scene from the door way. "Goku... in the future, bear in mind my razors are usually extra sharp, so for starting off, you might not want to use mine."

"Okay. Why's it bleedin' so much?" the kid asked, fingering his lip like it was a death wound.

"Probably because you keep poking at it," Gojyo railed, glancing at the clock on the dresser. Shit... they'd be lucky to get even _slightly _pretty girls at this rate!

"Or it could be because it's a clean cut," Hakkai corrected, shooting a glare in Gojyo's direction as he dabbed at the cut with a wash cloth. "Gojyo, please get Goku's shirt from the other room."

Gojyo grumbled, but didn't argue. He never argued with Hakkai, not about little things like getting a stupid chimp's shirt. He tossed the dark yellow fabric at the boy, who quickly pulled the long sleeved top on. Shit, they _really_ had to hurry!

"Okay, I'm ready!" Goku announced, still touching his lip a little. The bleeding had stopped, which meant Hakkai must have used a bit of chi on it. Un-fucking-believable! His first shaving cut, and Hakkai baby's him over it!

"It's about fucking time," Gojyo snapped. "C'mon and move it or we're gonna miss all the fun! Yo, 'Kai, you sure Sanzo's not gonna come out? Usually, he'd get a kick outta watching his pet try to act like a human being."

"Shut up, stupid kappa," Goku shouted. He took a swing at Gojyo, who held him at arms length with one hand pressed to his forehead. Goku kept swinging for a few seconds before he gave up... and kicked Gojyo's shin.

"Ow! You mutherfucking..."

"I believe Sanzo said something about swallowing lighter fluid and lighting his tongue on fire being more fun than watching us make fools of ourselves," Hakkai interjected, smoothly separating the two before a fight could start and heading down the stairs. "Are you two coming?"

Gojyo and Goku quickly followed Hakkai down the stairs. Once outside, Gojyo took the lead, grinning wickedly as he nodded down the street toward. "The guy up front said there's a good bar up this way. They don't question much about age, but they're not a dive bar. Goku, if anyone asks how old you are, you tell 'em you're legal, got it?"

"Yeah," Goku answered, eyes wide and very clearly nervous. Hakkai didn't look so much nervous as near sick to his stomach. Great, just fucking peachy...

"Hey, relax, you guys. We're just gonna go talk to some women, maybe buy them a couple drinks. You've still got the card, don't you, Hakkai?"

Hakkai nodded, tucking his hands into his blue jeans pockets. "We really shouldn't go crazy with it, though," he cautioned. "After all, we need to still buy supplies in the morning."

"So, you're sayin' keep it cheap?" the red-head asked reluctantly.

"I said we really shouldn't go crazy... but then again, I'm not one to settle for cheap booze."

Gojyo burst out laughing, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "That's what I wanted to hear! Let's go get us some fine looking companions for the night!" The three of them entered the bar... and promptly walked back out. Gojyo was the only one trying to hide his apalled shock by lighting a cigarette slowly. Hakkai's face was red enough to practically glow ih the dark.

Goku looked as if someone had just told him there was no food left in the entire world. "D-Didja SEE what I saw?" he finally choked out.

Hakkai blinked, opened his mouth to say something and closed it again. "Gojyo..." There was just a hint of anger to the way he said his name. He knew exactly what Hakkai was thinking. And he was dead wrong. As if he, Sha Gojyo, would ever pick someplace like THAT to cruise for a date!

"Yeah?" he drawled, letting out a slow stream of smoke. The look he gave Hakkai dared him to make the accusation.

"There wasn't a single female in there."

"Yup."

"Oh." Hakkai let out a little sigh, one brow lifting wryly as he glanced at their entire group. He was obviously trying to figure out what the fuck would have made that dipshit at the inn think they'd like this place.

Goku continued to gape, unblinking, as two more men entered, holding hands. "So... are they maybe all in back or somethin'?" he asked tentatively.

"Don't be stupid, of course they're not!" he snapped, eyes scanning the street for any other bar around. He spotted one and motioned toward it. "C'mon, this one looks good."

"B-But why would he send us THERE?" Goku demanded. "I mean, there were guys KISSIN' in there!"

"Probably because he thought we were gay," Gojyo mumbled.

"WHAT!"

Hakkai glanced back when Goku stopped walking at went back to retrieve the shocked monkey. "It's really not that big a deal, Goku. I'm sure there are several people who we've encountered over the course of this journey that falsely assume we're gay."

**"WHAT!"** Goku looked nearly ready to faint.

Rolling his eyes, Gojyo pushed the door to the noisy bar open and shouted, "Chill out, it's no big deal! Besides, we know the truth, so who cares what they think? Most likely it's all the dudes who're jealous they ain't half as hot as we are thinking shit like that. Now, forget about it and go make nice with the ladies. But not the two in the corner over there. I got first dibs on them!"

All three entered the new bar and soon got lost in the dim lights, the heavy cigarette smoke, the shouts, laughter and overly loud music booming from somewhere near the ceiling. Only one of them looked completely at home in the atmosphere and he quickly ditched the other two to go talk to the women he'd spotted from the door way. The other two were left still wondering what in the world they were doing there.

>>>>>>>>>>

Sanzo rolled the sutra up neatly, setting it on the bedside table with his gun and smokes. The usual night sounds of a fairly busy city filtered in through the glass of the window. The streetlights cast a brownish haze in the air, making it near impossible to see the moon as clearly as in the countryside. No matter, he didn't much care to see it anyway. He let out a sigh, twisting his neck as the heavy vest he wore over the robe dropped to the floor. Shit, was he aching! Four whole days of attacks was exhausting and pulled muscles he didn't know existed in his body.

His mind poured over everything again, from the fight with Yaone to Hakkai's words. Despite the fact that everything Hakkai had said made perfect sense, something kept nagging at him that all wasn't as it seemed. Yes, their trail had been picked up again in the past, but the assassins first hit the day after she left. So, either she was followed or she told someone. Half of him was hoping for the first one. If she was followed, then it could be dealt with. But if she betrayed him...

Yaone wouldn't do that, not unless she had no other choice.

Or if Kougaiji asked her. He struggled to unclench his fists and relax. Kougaiji... He hated that bastard. It wasn't jealousy any longer, but full-blown, barely controllable anger. It annoyed him no end that thinking of Yaone with the youkai prince made him feel this violent, and that annoyance only made him even angrier. It was to the point where he didn't even want to hear the name 'Kougaiji' in conversation with anyone. He honestly hate him.

_Correction; you don't hate him so much as you hate the effect he has on Yaone._

He lit a cigarette, inhaling sharply and only holding it for as long as it took to hit his lungs before blowing it out. That was a little more accurate, he mused. He didn't hate the prince. For a youkai with very little common sense in regards to his own well-being and one thick-as-fuck streak of pride, Kougaiji wasn't as irritating as he had the potential to be. What really got him was how the man commanded so much of Yaone's time and attention. All he had to do was ask, and she'd do anything he wanted. That was the real issue. It wasn't completely Kougaiji's attentions that made him feel like this. It was the fact that he didn't trust Yaone to refuse him anything.

Sanzo took another hit as he started working the knots on the belt free with one hand. Damn it… He needed to stop bothering over possibilities. Hakkai had a very good point of not making accusations without any physical evidence to back it up. Unfortunately, there was no way he could obtain any physical evidence. Anything 'physical' that could be going on between them was still hundreds of miles away. So, that led to the conclusion that, unless she showed up with hickies he didn't put on her, there was no way to know for certain. A comforting and even more disturbing thought all rolled into one.

Speaking of her showing up… he hated not seeing her more regularly. A whole month of nothing but quick encounters before she had to run back to Kougaiji (still thought with much sarcasm) and no sign of things getting any easier. It was starting to enter his thoughts more and more how it would be a nice change to wake up with her draped over him like she usually ended up doing. He wanted to get woken up in the middle of the night because she decided to steal his pillow or the covers, or to try and get free from her tangle of hair if she decided to sleep with it loose. All the little, annoying things that normally made him want to shoot her dead… he wanted them. Fuck, he must be crazy to want that!

Letting out a smoke-laced sigh, Sanzo was just about to finish the final twist to the belt when a knock came to the door. Son of a bitch… It was probably the tight-assed inn keep trying to get more money out of him. First, the extra cost for moving two cots into the next room, then a charge for having a pet (too bad the flying rat was useful. He could have stood shooting at Hakuryuu just to relieve his aggression)… he could just imagine the dickwad saying there was a fee for smoking in the rooms.

Muttering curses under his breath as the knock came again, he went over and jerked it open roughly. "You're not getting another fucking- mmph!" It took him a second to register what exactly had happened as he stumbled back a little, eyes a touch wide a he quickly caught himself from falling completely over by grabbing the door frame with one hand. Someone had thrown themselves on him and had begun to kiss him, tongue pushing into his mouth. It took only another second before he realized it was Yaone, and then he was kissing her back, one arm hooking around her waist to pull her closer and into the room. Gods, after just thinking about her…

He pushed her up against the door as soon as it was shut, fumbling to get the damned lock in place while continuing to kiss her hard, tongue meeting hers and mouth straining to take more of what she offered. She moaned into his mouth, drawing back just enough to whisper a quick, "Hello," before her bag dropped to the floor heavily. Her bag... that meant she was sticking around for a few days. What he almost would have labeled as 'joy' coursed through him at that realization. Yaone would be staying the night at least, and that made him feel very good.

"Did you miss me?" she continued, asking it against his lips. Her fingers moved through the ends of his hair, tickling along the back of his neck.

"Not really," he managed to get out, head still spinning a little from the abrupt, but very welcomed, greeting. She smiled as he bent to kiss her again, his hands moving lower from her waist to her ass, pressing her hips closer against his. He gave in to the heady rush, the unexpected thrill of her showing up without notice and attacking him at the door in a way he wished she'd use more often. It made his spine tingle just a little, which turned into a full out shudder as her teeth nipped his lower lip lightly.

"I thought monks weren't supposed to lie," she teased, pushing against his chest to steer him back into the room further.

"They're also not supposed to have sex. I don't hear you complaining about that."

Yaone laughed softly, eyes half closed as she placed a quick kiss to his lips, her hands locking around his arms to pull them tighter around her. "It's been a while. You might need to refresh my memory just a bit."

A startled gasp broke from her as he bent lower, grabbing her thighs and lifting her up. Her legs went around his waist and the added leverage made her crane her neck down just a bit to kiss him, her hands cupping his face. His tongue slid into her mouth easily, his entire body burning with the need to lose clothing and feel skin against his own. Yaone yelped in surprise when he dropped her back on the bed before lowering himself over her, hips pressing into hers through the layers of clothing.

"How's that for a reminder?" he asked against her throat, one hand moving along her raised thigh, fingers brushing along the top of her stocking and further up the chain garter. The chain rattled free against the bed as he undid it, arching his shoulders a bit to help her push the robe down as far as the belt still loosely tied around his waist would allow.

"Mm... not bad," she murmured, lips brushing along the edge of the leather covering his shoulders, tongue flicking out to taste his skin. "Though, I do seem to recall our positions were reversed last time..."

"Bullshit. Last time was on the table, remember?"

"Ah, yes. You're right, I'm sorry." She reached between them for the belt holding his robe in place, quickly undoing the final twist to let the silk slide to the floor. Sanzo remained on his hands and knees above her, watching as she undid the belt laced through his jeans, yanking the leather away and tossing it over the side to follow his robe. Her fingers trailed along the edge where blue jeans and leather met, slipping up under the leather a little bit to caress his stomach. It was only a little contact, but watching her touch him from this angle had a very powerful effect. It was fucking sexy, he thought, continuing to watch as she peeled the shirt up, palms pressing against more and more of his chest as it was exposed. He sucked his next breath in a little sharply when she accidentally pressed too hard over one of the new bruises decorating his side, pulling away instinctively. Yet another souvenir from those youkai bastards.

"Sanzo, what's the- oh! Oh, God, I didn't know!" Yaone sat up so quickly she nearly threw him off onto the floor. He followed the movement up with her to avoid a collision, but it knocked him off balance, made him lean too far over the edge of the bed. Oh, shit... Sanzo grabbed the first thing he could as the bed spread began to slide ... and ended up latching onto Yaone's arm. Shit, this wasn't going to be good!

"Sanzo!" Yaone fell with him, both of them thudding down with enough force to knock his lighter over on the table top. Instant pain shot up from his lower back, making him groan just slightly. Fucking hell!

Sanzo's head smacked into the hard floor, breath leaving in a soft 'oof' as she fell on top of him, choosing to dig her elbows into his stomach to support her weight rather than risk hurting him a little further down. He wasn't arguing the choice of evils, but still... "Shit..." He winced a little at the throbbing in his head, glaring down as a splutter of laughter escaped before she was biting her lips to hold it back. If she laughed, he was going to kill her. Her cheeks were red with the effort it took not to burst out. "You laugh, and I swear to the gods you won't be walking out of here."

Yaone gave him wide eyes sparkling with tears begging to be freed. Her whole body was shaking as she continued to fight the urge to let go. The minute she opened her mouth to respond, though, was the minute she lost the battle and started laughing. "I'm... sorry! I'm so sorry, but... your face..."

Lips twitching a little as she closed her eyes, shaking her head as she continued to laugh, Sanzo muttered, "Right." He grabbed her wrist again, pulling her up to her feet with him in one quick jerk.

She made a sound very close to a girlish squeal, laughing as he hauled her up over one shoulder, dumping her back on the bed. Trying to catch a breath that didn't bring about new amusement, she brushed her hair from her face, smiling against his lips when he bent and kissed her. He continued to kiss her until the laughter started to fade a bit, drawing back to look into her eyes to see if it was completely gone or not. "Stranded fish," she murmured, grinning at his confusion.

"What?" What the hell did that mean, stranded fish?

"When you went down, you looked like a stranded fish," she explained, hiccups interupting the new waves of laughter taking over her.

Sanzo scowled at her, leaning back and away as she sought to draw him down for another kiss. "The hell I did!"

"It was too cute! Your eyes were all big and-,"

"Shut up right now. You don't have a damn clue what the hell you're saying. And I am _not_ cute!"

Yaone's arm circled his neck, fingers toying with the ends of his hair. That mischievous grin was still plastered to her face. Great... "Like a little goldfish."

Shit! If he didn't end this now, he could sense a stupid nickname within the near future. Not a snowball's chance in hell was he going to allow that! Eyes narrowing, he decided drastic measures were in order to prevent this from happening. His fingers pressed into her side a little, moving slowly lower down along her hip, pushing the one freed stocking down with it before moving back up inside her thigh, going higher until...

"Mmm..." Her eyes closed, biting down on her lower lip as her free hand curled into the bed spread beneath them.

Sanzo leaned in closer, nipping along her neck gently, teeth closing over her earlobe briefly before he ordered in a low tone, "Scream for me."

"But... the others..." She gasped, eyes flying open as he did something a little different, something that made her back arch, hips pushing into his hand. The amusement was gone now, drowned out by the dark glint of lust. Gods, he loved when she looked at him like that. Like she truly might just eat him up. It was so completely unlike the open, caring look she normally wore. Darker and more sensual. Exciting.

"Those bastards went out," he continued, moving his hand back up to finish untying her belt. Her fingers shook a little as she slid the metal bands around his upper arms down, taking the leather sleeves with them, before pushing his shirt up roughly to run her hands over his abs and around to his back firmly, fingers massaging against the unbruised skin.

"O-Oh," she said in a voice that was low and a little breathy.

"So... I want to hear you scream." He wound his hand into her hair, pulling just sharp enough to force her neck at an angle, mouth locking directlyon the area beneath her ear, right next to the carotid artery pulsing in her neck. He worked the lacing to her shorts open quickly, just enough for his hand to move lower again, right where it had been before but without the damned clothing between him and her body.

The minute he touched her was the minute she did what he'd told her to and screamed. Screamed his name with her claws pressing into his bare upper arms. Screamed as she arched her back closer to him, giving him more access to her throat and shoulders. She screamed just like he'd been wanting to hear for so fucking long.

"God, Sanzo!"

It was just exactly what he'd been craving since the last time he'd seen her. To have her like this, responding to his touch, his name coming from her lips. It was enough to push the nagging doubts to the back of his mind, forgotten in the way she moaned and moved, the way she jerked his shirt up and off roughly before yanking him back down on top to kiss him hard. Whether it was his own body's needs talking or Hakkai's words finally sinking in, he didn't believe now that she could have betrayed him. No, she wouldn't have, he thought as their kiss became more frenzied and clothing vanished completely while he was reaching blindly over the other side for his bag and the condoms. He would bet good money on it now that she was here and so very obviously happy to see him. Yaone couldn't have betrayed their location... Could she?

>>>>>>>>>>

Gojyo smiled at the pretty girl leaning on the bar, grin widening when she opened her mouth to produce a cherry stem tied in a double knot. "Well, fuck me, looks like I owe you another drink!"

Nariko's eyebrows wiggled suggestively over amused hazel eyes. Not that brownish shade some chicks tried to pass off as hazel, but honest-to-the-gods hazel green. "I think you owe me just a bit more than that, don't you?" she teased.

He trailed his finger tips down her arm, moving in that fraction closer to her. "Yeah, I did say something about wanting to taste cherries off your tongue, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did." Her hand fisted in the front of his tight shirt (Hakkai's, he corrected mentally before adding that he better not get it ripped or the other man would be pissed), effectively drawing him down. She was a little shorter than him. Actually, a lot shorter. As in, she would have to stand on tiptoes to put her chin on his shoulder. But, goddamn, how could he resist a girl in a halter top? When her tongue parted through his lips to stroke against his, he sucked on it lightly, felt her move on her bar stool just that little bit closer for him to drop his hand on her thigh, stroking higher over her dark jeans.

"Damn," he muttered, drawing back to stare down at her. Both of them wore matching smiles, the kind that made it obvious to anyone watching they'd be going home together. "So, you still want that drink, or do you wanna go somewhere else?"

"What I want," she purred, hooking a finger through the waist of his jeans and tugging playfully. "Is to take you back to my place and ride you like a mechanical bull until you beg me to stop."

Gojyo shivered, body already tingling in anticipation. There hadn't been a chance for him to get any sort of action at Peeraj, so this was a long overdue relief. He did a quick glance around of the bar, his smile turning to one of almost paternal pride to see Goku sitting at a corner table with a cute girl, just barely legal to drink herself. The monkey had refused to touch any alcohol, which had made the girl a little happy. She obviously had a real rough night out for her birthday not too long ago. And... if he wasn't mistaken, Goku was sneaking quick little kisses in, which she returned just as quickly. Score one for the monkey!

He searched around until he noticed Hakkai sitting at a table with four other men, a fresh beer and a shot of what looked like whiskey sitting in front of him as he threw some chips into the growing stash. Goddamn it... they were supposed to be picking up WOMEN, not playing POKER! Gojyo shook his head and smiled anyway for his friend. Well, at least Hakkai was enjoying himself this time around. Satisfied all was well, Gojyo looped his arm over Nariko's shoulders, stealing another deep, tongue-filled kiss before saying, "Well, ride away, cowgirl. I sure as hell won't tell you to stop."

Nariko laughed, putting her arm around his waist as they headed for the door. He caught Hakkai's eye briefly, saw the quick flick of fingers to acknowledge he'd left, and was gone, matching her quick pace with his own. He let out a happy sigh, pleased with himself that everything was going well. Goku found a nice girl, Hakkai was out socializing with other people (though, it would have been better if it had been the female variety), and he was going to get laid. Thank the Merciful Goddess, he was getting laid!

(And somewhere in the heavens, a certain Merciful Goddess was beaming with pride that she got thanks for SOMETHING on this journey... even if it wasn't really her doing to begin with)

>>>>>>>>>>

Goku blushed a little when Sima kissed his cheek, her fingers locked with his under their table. She was very pretty. And very nice. Gojyo had found her sitting at the bar with a few of her friends and made him go over and talk to her. He was actually glad the stupid kappa did that, because now they were sitting together and she was kissing him, but not like that one girl. Sima didn't try and choke him with her tongue. He liked kissing her. And he KNEW shaving would make a good impression! Stupid Gojyo... he'd have to remind him how Sima said he smelled nice and that it was all because he'd shaved.

"I'm kinda sad you're leaving in the morning, Goku," she said quietly, blue eyes shining in the dim light from the bar. "You're not like the others guys around here."

"Thanks… I guess," he replied. He wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, but he was still grinning and feeling a little dizzy.

Sima laughed, nudging him. "It's a good thing, trust me! It's nice to meet someone who's not trying to paw me or get me drunk and back at his place. You've just been very nice and a lot of fun. I like that."

Goku knew he was blushing and couldn't stop. "You're nice, too."

His stomach flipped over on itself when she leaned her head on his shoulder, squeezing his hand a little. With her like that, he could smell her shampoo and the flowery perfume she'd put on before coming out. Her friends had left a while ago, giggling and looking over at them, but he didn't care. He liked sitting with her like this.

_ "Remember, you've gotta do something romantic. Like take her on a walk or something. Don't just sit on your ass and do nothing."_

Gojyo's advice came back to him and made him swallow heavily, looking down to their hands. "Hey," he asked, his stomach churning so badly he thought he was gonna puke. "You wanna go for a walk or somethin'?"

Sima picked her head up, smiling. "That sounds like a good idea. Come on, I'll show you my favorite place to go."

Goku quickly followed after her, catching her hand as soon as they were standing. He grinned over at Hakkai's surprised look and waved. He almost wished Gojyo had stuck around just a little longer to see him leave with a girl as well. HE was leaving a BAR with a GIRL! Sima flashed a smile over her shoulder, her dark hair trailing behind her as she pulled him quickly down the street. "I hope you can climb trees," she called back.

"I'm pretty good at it," he laughed, hanging on tight as she broke into a run, twisting down a side alley sharply and leaving the busy, crowded area of the town for the bigger houses outside it. The ones with lots of land. And lots of fruit trees. They'd made his stomach growl when he'd noticed them, but Sanzo had refused to stop and buy any of the fruit, saying the trees were private property and he wasn't wasting his money on something that could be gotten cheaper in town.

Sima climbed over a low, wooden fence and onto the other side, dusting off her ankle-length skirt as Goku followed her over. "So, where are we going?" he asked as she guided him through the tallish grass like she knew exactly where she was going.

"Well, this is the mayor's orchard," she explained quietly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "And he's got the biggest peach tree ever growing here. I used to sneak in here all the time and climb up into that tree. Do you like peaches, Goku?"

"Like 'em? I love 'em! We've got one that grows at the temple, but Sanzo gets really mad if I eat any of the peaches cuz they're supposed to be for the Merciful Goddess or somethin'. But, the way I figure it, there's so many peaches on the tree, she won't miss a couple... or twelve."

She laughed, reaching back for his hand again. "I got caught here once, by one of the pruners. He dragged me down by my hair and broke a branch off the tree to beat me with."

Goku scowled, eyes scanning the darkness for any pruners. He knew first hand what those people were like! "That wasn't very nice."

"Oh, I got even. See, I'd eaten so many peaches, I got sick to my stomach! I puked all over him right in the middle of it!"

He laughed at that and managed to get out, "I did that, too! Well, I didn't puke on one of the gardeners, but I puked all over Sanzo. Man, was he pissed off! I stayed offa peaches for a WEEK cuz of that!"

Sima stopped suddenly under a gigantic tree, stepping back a little so she could wrap his arm around her waist. Both of them looked up and up... and up. Goku knew he was gaping with his mouth open, but he couldn't help it. He'd never seen a peach tree so big before! "Whoa... how high up didja climb?"

"Just about half way. The branches start to get really thin after that," she answered, turning her face in so her words tickled against his neck. It did something to him, made his back all prickly and his stomach feel all warm. He liked when she did that. And he almost didn't want to let her go when she pulled away, smiling as she backed toward the tree. "Well, are you coming?"

Goku quickly ran up after her, jumping up into the lowest tree branch before leaning over to give her a hand. They climbed up until they found a spot wide enough for them to sit, right where the trunk sort of split in two and formed separate paths up toward the starry sky. The smell of fresh, ripe peaches was everywhere, some of the yummy fruit hanging within easy reaching distance. The moon and stars flashed in and out between the swaying leaves, shadows wavering on the tall grass.

Sima settled between his legs, one of her arms looping over the raised knee from his foot being propped on another tree branch. She closed her hand over the one he had around her waist, leaning back into his chest and shoulder. "This is alot nicer than a crowded bar," she whispered, turning her cheek in just enough to brush her lips along his jaw. It made the warmth in his belly curl up tighter, made the other part of his brain that liked when girls were this close wake up more.

He swallowed a little nervously as he kissed her. It wasn't just a little kiss like they were doing earlier, either. This one was for almost thirty seconds, just their lips touching. And it was really, really good. His back tightened a little when he felt her tongue along his lower lip, licking very lightly. Oh, no... Was she gonna to try and stick her tongue in his mouth? He hoped not! He liked Sima very much and didn't want to ruin anything by her doing that. "Hey, I dunno about that," he said, his voice sounding very funny, like it didn't want to work or something.

She drew back enough to stare at him through half closed eyes. "Someone tongue kissed you before." It wasn't a question from the sounds of it, and she didn't seem angry either. He'd kind of thought she might be. Gojyo said girls got angry when they heared about kissing other girls.

"Uh... yeah. An' it wasn't very nice either," he answered honestly, a teeny bit scared she really MIGHT be mad and would leave.

"Then she didn't do it right. Just... trust me a little, okay? If you don't like it, I'll stop. I promise."

Goku nodded, barely breathing. He trusted Sima. She was very nice, and she said she'd stop if he didn't like it. He closed his eyes, moving just that little inch in that made them kiss again. And, when he felt her tongue touch his lip, he opened his mouth, almost scared that she was going to try and stick it down his throat.

His eyes opened in surprise as they continued to kiss. It felt... really good! Sima's tongue only went in far enough to touch his before moving back and repeating it. It wasn't hard and it wasn't fast, either. She kissed him just right. Goku moved his hand from her waist to her cheek when she tried to draw back. He didn't want her to stop. All of him agreed on that, unlike when that other girl kissed him and only half liked it. When Sima kissed him, every part of him was happy about it. Cool!

Sima smiled as she continued to kiss him, turning her shoulder just a little so that she was almost on her side now but facing him better. They kissed for a little longer before he had to stop and take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He was breathing like he'd just kicked a whole lotta youkai ass, but this was way more better than that!

"Wow," she whispered, pressing her forehead to his and breathing a little fast, too. Her hand came up and covered the one he still had to her cheek, her eyes closing enough so he could only see a little bit of blue peeking out.

Goku chuckled and whispered back, "Yeah." Now he knew why Gojyo liked kissing girls so much! The wind kicked up a little, pushing the peach smells even more into his nose. Both of them glanced down when his stomach gurgled. For once, he wished he wasn't so hungry so he could just keep kissing her. Sima laughed, rubbing his tummy before giving him another really soft kiss.

"Come on, let's get some peaches in you," she teased, moving away from him enough to lean out and pluck the five that were hanging nearest to them. She handed one back to him, settling herself right where she'd started. "Goku?"

"Yeah?" he asked around a mouthful of peach. Man, was it good! It was all sweet and juicy and HUGE! This was probably one of the best nights ever as far as he was concerned. He was really starting to wish they didn't have to go in the morning.

"Do you have to go back tonight, or can you stay out a little longer?"

He slurped some of the juice up before it could fall on his chin and said, "I dunno. I mean, Sanzo never said I had to be back before we left in the monring. I guess I can stay out. Why?"

"Well, there's a pond not far up from here, and when the sun rises it's really pretty. I thought... maybe we could take some more peaches and go watch it?"

Goku grinned, tossing the pit down below them. "Sounds good! You wanna climb down while I toss the peaches to ya?"

Sima flashed her pretty smile, tucking her hair back behind her ears. "Okay!" She hurried back down with the few fruits she'd collected, looking up as he stood carefully on their perch.

He carefully moved out a little further to get some of the big fruits, balancing as best he could on the creaking limbs. Once plucked, he drop them down as best he could in her general direction. Sima caught all except two of them, jumping a little as the skins burst and peach juice shot everywhere. "Ew! You threw that last one on purpose," she accused as he climbed down, still laughing at her. Bits of fruit had hit her skirt, which she shook free with a little frown.

"Well... maybe. You looked really funny runnin' away from a peach," he explained, taking the small armful of peaches from her. Hakkai had said it was always the right thing to do to carry something for a girl, or to at least offer.

"I guess it's okay if you got a kick out of it," she continued, stacking the very last peach on top for him with a smile. "Now, let's hurry and get to the lake before sunrise. It's so pretty there, you're going to-"

"WHAT ARE TWO DOIN' IN HERE?"

Goku dropped all the peaches, whirling around at the angry voice with clenched fists. He took a step back when three dogs snarled and barked, drool flying from their sharp teeth. Sima was clutching his shirt behind him, shaking. She was scared, and he wanted to beat this guy for making her like that... but he wasn't going to. They WERE on someone else' land, after all. Oh, and he had three really big, scary looking dogs. He'd fight youkai all day and night if he had to, but he wasn't gonna hurt a dog, no matter how mean they looked!

"Sorry," he said quickly, backing Sima up a little further from the snapping dogs. "We... We just saw the peaches an' thought they looked really good."

"So, you were stealin' eh? An' from the mayor, no less." His eyes narrowed down as he let out a shrill whistle. "Boys! Watch!" The dogs instantly went into aggressive stances, teeth bared and low evil growls coming from their throats.

"I only ate one! Let her go, she didn't do anything," Goku shouted as the man walked away.

"She came with you, didn't she? Young punks like yerselves need to learn stealin' ain't very nice. Don't move while I go get the authorities. One twitch, and my boys there'll rip yer guts clean out!" His back soon disappeared into the shadows, leaving them all alone with some really big, nasty looking guard dogs.

Goku swallowed heavily, eyes glued to the animals in front of him. The man had said he was getting the authorities. That meant he was getting the police. Man, was Sanzo gonna be pissed off with him!

>>>>>>>>>>

Hakkai sipped his beer, leaning back more comfortably in his chair as he kept the pleasant smile on his face. The old man sitting across from him grimaced as he also took a sip of his whiskey on the rocks. The other players had long ago folded and left, tired of losing their money to Hakkai and the old man. It was just the two of them now, drinking and playing out the final hand.

The old man's shrewd expression never changed as he lifted the edges to his cards up to peek under. The bar was closing up now, which meant it was somewhere around two in the morning. They'd been playing for a few hours straight. "So... you're not from around here, are ya?"

"No, just passing through. My friends and I will be leaving in a few hours."

He nodded, chuckling as he scratched his beard. Normally, Hakkai would have labeled the move as a tell, but the old man had been doing it all night with no apparent rhyme or reason other than his beard itched. The man was a formidable opponent in poker, possibly one of the best he'd ever gone up against.

"Oh, that little squirt and the pretty boy?" The man chuckled again, raising his glass. "A toast to you and your patience."

Hakkai clinked his glass against the other, glancing around as the employees began to sweep the floor. "Sorry if this is rude, but perhaps we should speed this up for the sake of the servers," he suggested.

The old man laughed, smacking his thigh and hollered over his shoulder, "Leong! Hey! You mind if-n we finish the hand here?"

"Take your time, Nagat," Leong shouted back from behind the bar. "Just pull your chairs up and make sure you leave out the back when you're done. I'll leave the whiskey out."

Nagat grinned, flashing yellowed teeth, and winked at Hakkai. "See? S'like I'm parta the furniture in here. So, what's a young fella like you doin' all the way out here? You're from the east, right?"

Hakkai smiled, staring down into his beer. "We're just traveling westward. It's something different."

"Sonny, who you tryin' to fool here? No need to lie to an old gambler like me. You're runnin' from somethin', aren't ya?"

It took alot more effort than he cared to admit to meet those dark eyes and knowing face. Slowly, the smile returned to his face as he took a healthy swig of beer. "Perhaps I am." There was some truth to the words. He had a decent enough life back home, teaching on the side, gambling every once in a while with Gojyo. He really didn't have a reason to leave that behind for this mission, other than loyalty to Sanzo. Maybe he still was trying to run from his past. Or maybe... "Or perhaps I left with the knowledge there's a very good chance I won't return."

Nagat made a scoffing sound and threw in another twenty dollars, raising the stakes. "You're too young to be thinkin' about that. What are you, twenty, twenty-one?"

"Twenty-two, actually."

"Close enough. My wife's been dead longer than you've been alive. No cause for a youngun like you to be talkin' like that."

Hakkai saw the twenty and raised ten more. Four of a kind, tens. It would be pretty hard to beat that. "Either way, I'm still on this journey. It's been a little over a year now and I've not regretted a single minute of it."

Nodding, the old man scratched his beard and called the bet, taping his cards neatly into a pile and leaning back in his own chair with the whiskey. "So, what happened?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You're talkin' like a guy ready to die any day now. What happened?"

Hakkai didn't answer and couldn't even bring himself to force a smile. He let out a long breath and asked softly, voice gone cold and near emotionless, "Are you ready to show your cards?"

"Tell ya what, kid," Nagat answered slowly. "Let's up the bet a little."

"You're out of money."

"No money. I win, you tell me what a kid of twenty-two has to be all serious about."

"And if I win?"

Nagat's yellow teeth showed again through gnarled grey hair. "Why, we finish that bottle o' whiskey, you an' I, an' say our goodnights."

Hakkai laughed lightly, shaking his head. "You're on. Ready?"

Both of them flipped their cards over at the same time.

Nagat sighed, arching a brow. "Ya got me, son. I'll go get the whiskey."

Raking all the cash aside, Hakkai cleared the table for them to set up for drinks. He quickly counted out his earnings, pleased to find he was up almost five hundred from where he'd started the evening.

"Hope you like the strong stuff. Can't stomach that girlie shit some of you young folks drink nowadays," Nagat muttered as he returned, setting a fresh glass on the table. "But, you've been drinkin' like a real man all night. Don't think you'll mind this stuff at all."

"Thank you," he replied, waiting until the old man was seated again before tipping back the whiskey in one go. It wasn't the finer stuff he'd been drinking all evening, the kind that went down smooth with only a hint of warmth. This was cheaply made, home-brewed whiskey that burned as if someone had dropped a match down his throat. And it was wonderful.

Nagat laughed, slapping his thigh again. "A man after m'own stomach! What's your name, son?"

"Hakkai."

"You already know mine, but s'nice to meet ya, Hakkai." They shook hands across the table before more whiskey was poured. "Had a daughter once, woulda been 'bout your age. She'd-a liked you."

"Thank you," he replied, unsure what exactly was the polite way to respond to something like that. How did one go about expressing flattery over another's dead daughter possibly liking one's self?

"Priya. Died a while back, two days after she turned sixteen. She liked th' smart boys. An' don't you play all modest an' say you're not smart, either! You been countin' cards all night. That takes a bit o' talent for sure."

Hakkai shrugged, hiding his embarassed smile behind his glass. "How could you tell?"

"Ain't nobody who's that lucky. You either cheatin' or you countin', and you don't look the type to cheat. Now, that pretty boy you be travelin' with, _he_ looks like a cheater!"

That earned a full out laugh and a toast from Hakkai. "In Gojyo's defence, though, he doesn't cheat that often."

"Cheatin' is cheatin', no matter what color you try an' paint it," Nagat insisted. "But, hey, I'm not gonna judge him. S'what gamblin' is half the time. The other half's sheer luck o' the draw."

"Very true."

"So, you been travelin' for over a year? Must be pretty important, where you're headin'."

"Mm, a little. Basically, we're trying to stop the resurrection of a brutal youkai warlord and thus end the chaos that's been spreading throughout the area," he replied nonchalantly, as if it were perfectly natural to be on a quest that essentially would save the world. It had the desired effect on his companion.

Nagat's eyebrows rose and a hoarse chuckle came from him. "No kiddin'! So'm I, if-n you can believe."

Hakkai laughed, rubbing the back of his neck a little. "Oh, very easily! Anyone who willingly chooses this brand of whiskey is clearly a force to be reckoned with!"

Whatever the old man was going to say in reply was stopped as two men dressed in uniform came up, followed by the nervous bartender. They stopped at the table, eyes raking over Hakkai disapprovingly. "Are you Cho Hakkai?" one demanded.

"That depends on the reasons behind why you're looking for that name," Hakkai answered slowly, keeping the smile steady even as he felt his eyes go cold. Whatever they saw in his face maed them both shift nervously, the one standing slightly away backing even further from the table.

"We were sent to locate a Cho Hakkai who fits your description."

"Sent by whom, if you don't mind my asking?"

"One named Son Goku. He was arrested tonight with a local girl for trespassing and theft from the mayor of our town. When asked who to contact to arrange a bale, he said Cho Hakkai had the funding. Is that you?"

Recovering quickly from the shock of hearing Goku had been arrested (Gojyo, perhaps, but GOKU?), Hakkai finished off his whiskey and gave Nagat a wry smile. "Excuse me, please. It was a pleasure, but I'm afraid I have to go."

Nagat winked, eyes dancing merrily. "Pleasure's all mine, kid. Stop back by on your way home an' we'll drink a bit more, eh?"

"I'll certainly try." Hakkai followed the two police officers out of the bar and down the nearly quiet street. Only a few bars were still open, the only sounds coming from the people stumbling out into the early morning darkness, leaning heavily on their equally stumbling companions. Hakkai kept his eyes peeled in case he spotted Gojyo. He would do the best he could to get Goku released without any formal charges, but someone had to get Sanzo. If anyone could wield enough political clout to free Goku with no problems, it was Sanzo. It confused him a little that Goku would request for him over his guardian, unless he was afraid Sanzo would be furious (very likely) and prefered to have it taken care of without him finding out. He sighed to himself and walked through the doors to the jail when one of the police held it open for him.

"Hakkai! Hakkai, over here!"

He followed Goku's excited shouts, moving through the rows of cells and ignoring the whistles from both men and women as he passed. Goku's face was pressed against the bars, a big relieved grin stretching his cheeks. A girl stood behind him nervously, wringing her hands and refusing to look up from the floor. It was the girl Goku had left with, and it was very obvious she felt embarassed about the situation.

"Am I glad to see you! Get us outta here! I mean, _please_ get us outta here," the boy continued loudly.

"Goku, they said you were trespassing and that you stole. What did you steal?" Hakkai demanded, hands wrapping around the bars to the cell.

"Well, Sima an' I went for a walk, an' she said she knew this really neat place. Turns out, it's the mayor's gigantic peach tree, so we climb up it an' she _kissed me_ an' I liked it an'-,"

"Goku, please try and be a little more focused. What did you steal?"

"Oh, a peach. I got hungry, so I ate a peach. It's not THAT big a deal or anything. We were gonna take a whole bunch more, but then that jerk gardener guy showed up with his dogs, an' one of them BIT me! See?" Goku jammed his hand into Hakkai's face to show off a neat set of puncture wounds that were crusted over in dried blood.

"What happened to the rest of the peaches?" Hakkai pressed as he examined the injury. "And did Sima get hurt?"

"She's okay. That's the first thing I asked her when we got here. But she's really scared, an' I don't care if I have to stay here all night seein' as I was the one who ate the peach, but can you try an' get her out?"

Sighing wearily and releasing Goku's hand after ascertaining that the injury, while it looked painful, was not serious, he said, "I'll try my best, but alot depends on if the mayor is insistant on pressing formal charges. If that's the case, then I have the card on me to post bail for you both."

"So... that means we're getting out, no matter what, right?"

"Hopefully. Let me go talk a bit with the police, okay? And if you don't learn to keep your hands to yourself, sir, I'm afraid I'll have to break them," he added, glaring with a smile over at the man in the cell next to Goku who decided it was the appropriate time to try and rub his fingers along Hakkai's side. The man gulped and quickly backed away.

Hakkai went back up front where the sheriff and an outraged man in a robe and slippers were talking. The man's face was positively purple with rage as his bloodshot eyes swiveled around onto Hakkai. "Are you the boy's lawyer?" he demanded angrily.

"Not unless it's necessary," Hakkai replied with what he hoped was a friendly smile. He was already not liking the mayor very much. "I'd like to discuss the seriousness of the charges being brought against the both of them, if you don't mind."

The sheriff let out a low breath that sounded vaguely like 'buggerfuck' before replying, "The mayor says they were found neckin' in a tree on his property with a whole mess of his prized peaches half-eaten all around them."

"Well, that unfortunately can't be true. Goku would never leave any food half eaten."

The sheriff blinked before a quiet rumbling laugh came from him. "Yep, first thing he asked about was our meal plan. Sounds like that's true."

"Excuse me," the mayor cut in coldly. "But I fail to see the humor in all this, sheriff! They broke onto my property, stole my peaches, and you find it amusing? Need I remind you that the city pays your salary, not this boy and his friend?"

"Sorry, mayor," the sheriff apologized quickly, but it lacked any true feeling.

Hakkai turned his patient smile to the mayor and said, "Normally, I would support upholding the law for whatever extent you feel is valid, but in this case I'm afraid I'll have to disagree. Yes, they trespassed, but I'm sure even in your youth, mayor, you would do just as much to impress your first date. Second, the act of throwing the both in jail for eating a few measly peaches is absurd. Just give me a fair price and I'll gladly reimburse you the cost."

"It's not about cost," the mayor insisted, face achieving and even more ridiculous vermillion shade and eyes protruding even further. "It's the principle of the matter! They stole something that belongs to me. They go to jail. Simple as that."

Hakkai looked over at the sheriff questioningly.

The sheriff sighed and mumbled, "It's the law, and that's how the mayor wants to play it. Bail's set for a thousand a piece."

He pulled the card from his pocket. "Then, I'd like to post bail tonight, please. We have to be leaving in the morning."

"Yes, you do," the mayor said, huffing.

The sheriff took the card, looking it over and frowning. "This one of them plastic money cards?" he inquired.

"It is." Hakkai blinked as the card was handed back to him.

"Sorry, but the jail isn't set up to receive those things yet. Cash only, or twenty-four hours jail time."

Ah. Well, that was a bit of a problem. Tucking the card back in his pocket, Hakkai smiled politely at the overjoyed mayor and obviously exhausted sheriff and said, "Please excuse me. I have to consult with the boy's guardian." He turned and left the jail, heading straight back for the inn. If there was one thing Sanzo would not tolerate, it would be a twenty-four hour delay. As much as he dreaded interupting the monk at nearly three in the morning, he dreaded even more having to be the one to tell him in the morning that Goku was in jail and would be for a while longer.

He tucked his hands in his pockets, shaking his head with a resigned little smile. He almost wished Nagat was there so he could change his response to the question. The reason he was traveling with these three was because they were all completely and hopelessly disorganized. Someone had to keep their head straight in this group, after all!

>>>>>>>>>>

"Cats."

"Cats?"

"I hate the damn things."

Yaone let out a surprised chuckle, head lying on Sanzo's thigh and toying with his fingers idly. After the sex (the very _good_ sex, she corrected herself), they'd put some clothing back on and stayed up talking like they used to do, about whatever came up. And, to her surprise and delight, Sanzo was talking a bit more about himself. Nothing major to his life, but all of it was information she'd never known about him. Such as his dislike for cats.

"I would have thought you'd like them. If ever you were to get a pet, a cat would be good for you," she added, her smile softening as his fingertips traced along her knuckles lightly, moving lower to her wrist and back up.

Sanzo made a face that was mildly disgusted. "First of all, not a chance I would ever own a pet. One loud, hungry monkey is enough. Second," he continued, lips twisting a little as she laughed. "Cats make me sneeze, therefore I hate cats."

"Nooo, you hate being _allergic_ to cats."

"Either way, I can't stand the things. Goku used to sneak them into the temple all the time. The whole place had to be cleaned out each time from top to bottom."

"Aww... you poor baby," she teased.

"It's not funny."

Yaone snuggled in against him, kissing his thigh through the blue jeans gently. "Sorry, but it's extremely amusing that the great Genjyo Sanzo can be brought down by a little kitten."

His hand squeezed her thigh, not hard but more as a gentle warning. What she could almost swear was amusement lit up his eyes. It was almost eerie how she could see them so very clearly in the darkness, where everything else to him was just contrasting paleness. "And if you show up at the next fight with an armful of kittens, you'll be lucky if all I kill are the furballs."

Laughing again, she took the hand from her thigh, entwining her fingers with his and pressing their palms together. She remember the first time she'd actually touched his hand, surprised there were callouses on them. He didn't seem the type for strenuous labor, but the evidence was there on his hands. A silly thing, maybe, considering he was trained in martial arts, but every monk she'd ever seen before him, with the exception of the temple servants, had been very soft looking. Of course, none of them had looked even remotely as beautiful as Sanzo either, but still...

"Hey."

She looked up at the sound, stretching her legs out just a little so more of herself was pressed against him. He was on his back, supported up by pillows against the headboard so that he wasn't completely prone and could make eye contact. Her feet were tucked up under the pillows as she lay on her side next to him, using his thigh for her own pillow. It was like putting her head down on solid muscle, but she didn't care. It was the intimacy of the moment that was important. "Hmm?"

"I'm... glad you came," he said, the words hurried after the slight pause. It was obviously a struggle for him to say that outloud. Most women would have been offended to no end that something so simple was said with great effort, but not her. She knew him, knew that any form of expressing emotions other than anger, annoyance or arrogance was a tremendous step for him. It made her warm all over to hear him say that.

She squeezed his hand in hers, smiling when she caught the faintest tint of blush to his cheeks. She would love nothing more than to tease him about it, but if she did, the moment would be shattered and she didn't want that. "I'm glad I did, too. I've missed you."

"Don't lie, you've only missed the sex."

"You arrogant... Do you honestly think if it were purely physical I'd still be here? I would have jumped you and left by now!"

Now there was more than a hint of a smirk. It was a full out twist of lips that still managed to avoid flashing teeth. For him, that was riotous laughter.

"You did jump me. Not even five seconds in the room and you started ripping my clothes off," Sanzo commented, freeing his hand from hers to rub her upper arm.

"All I did was give you a hello kiss. You were the one who pinned me up against the door," she returned, sitting up with a smile as they continued to mock-argue.

"To keep you from ruining my robe," he shot back, pulling her down toward him. "I'm not dropping a hundred dollars just because my girlfriend decides to shred my clothing."

Yaone held herself back a little , staring into his eyes from just a scant few inches away. Their lips were very close, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath against her, smell the lingering cigarette smoke on his skin. She wanted to lick her suddenly dry lips, but to do that would mean her tongue brushing against his lower lip. "Your girlfriend?" she asked, voice soft and a little deeper.

Sanzo's eyes widened a touch, as if he'd realized just then what exactly he had said. His gaze hardened after a minute or two, the usual arrogance and confidence back where it normally was. "What, you thought we were just screwing around?" he asked sarcastically.

"Well, no... I just assumed that... so, I can go ahead and say you're my boyfriend?" She'd always thought that to herself, but to have him confirm it with words was entirely different. It made what they had seem a bit more real, more stable. And, it also made her feel even worse for what she'd done. God, she'd given her boyfriend's location to those trying to kill him...

"That sounds a bit better than refering to me as your man-whore."

"Shut up! God, do you know how to ruin a moment," she complained, shaking her head as her cheeks burned up. "And there's no way you could ever be someone's whore."

The quirk of his brow and the slow lifting to the corners of his mouth told her she'd just crammed her foot halfway down her throat. "So... should it be the other way around?"

Yaone's jaw dropped as she drew back to slap him playfully. Her wrist was caught before the blow could fall and twisted up behind her back, not painfully but enough so that she had no choice but to collapse against his chest or risk hurting herself. She chose the first option, eyes closing when his lips brushed along her jaw. She turned away, forcing his mouth to trail along her cheek as he tried to kiss her. "You just called me a whore, and you expect me to kiss you?"

"Never called you anything," he replied, his free hand caressing her cheek before slipping under her chin, turning her into the kiss she was avoiding even as her body demanded she take it. "Just asked a question."

"You're disgustingly arrogant."

"I've been called worse."

Yaone allowed him to pull her down all the way, allowed his fingers to slide back into her hair, cradling the base of her skull. It was just a very light brush of lips before he drew back, eyes meeting hers. The aloof curtain that usually hid his thoughts was very thin right now, giving way to things she'd never thought to see in him before. Obviously passion, but what really mattered was the strong presence of something deeper than that. If she didn't know he'd deny it until he was blue in the face, she would have said he loved her. While that thought made her happy to the point she thought she might cry, it also twisted the knife of guilt deeper into her stomach. He loved her... and she acts behind his back. The happy feelings were very quickly over run by the miserable, guilty ones. If he had actually died because of her...

"Yaone?"

She blinked, snapping out of her morbid thoughts quickly with a smile she hoped would convince him. "Did you say something?" she asked.

Sanzo was frowning now, a concerned crease between his brows. "I asked what's wrong," he repeated, sitting up a little more.

"Nothing."

"Why are you bothering to lie? You know you can't do it."

Yaone closed her eyes, leaning into his hand as he pushed her hair back from her cheek, tucking it behind her tapered ear. Inside, she warred with herself about whether to say something now and spare the fight later when he inevitably found out, or to stay silent and deal with it when it happened. It would be better to get it over with now since it was still fresh, but everything had been going so well. She didn't want to ruin their first night together in more than a month. If only he didn't have that look in his eyes...

"Actually, there _is_ something wrong," she said hoarsely, barely able to breathe passed the lump in her throat.

Sanzo went cold still against her. She could almost feel the chillness wrap around him like a shield to protect him from what was to come. She hadn't realized until she'd spoken that the icy demeanor had disintegrated so completely. It was the closest she'd ever been to who Sanzo really was... and now she was going to risk losing all that.

"Sanzo, this isn't very easy for me to say, so please be quiet until I'm finished," she began, closing her eyes when she could no longer look at the cool arrogance that once again blocked her out. He was shut off completely from her now, not allowing her to see anything that he thought. It very nearly killed her inside to witness that, and she instantly regretted opening her mouth. It was too late now, though. She had to continue. "Like I said, this isn't very easy for me, and I'm very-,"

A sharp knock came to the door, interupting her. Sanzo snarled angrily. "Fucking hell... Stay there," he ordered, swinging off the bed with his gun in tow. The knock came again, more urgently as he crossed over, opening it just enough to see who was there. A few murmured words were exchanged before he shut the door once more and came over, gathering his clothing off the floor.

"Sanzo?" she asked, watching as he pulled the leather shirt back on, tucking it down below the jeans and tugged the leather sleeves up his arms with quick, angry jerks to the leather and metal. He looked near furious. "Sanzo, what happened?"

"It's Goku. He got himself arrested," he stated tightly, the angry vein in his forehead looking ready to burst. "Don't go anywhere, we're not done talking." He was carrying the vest and sutra as he went for the door, tying the robe around himself as he went.

Yaone stayed in the middle of the bed, staring after him. On the one hand, she was relieved not to have to tell him right away. On the other, when he came back even more irritated because of Goku, her news was going to do nothing to help him. What bad luck on her end. It was just typical, really. Sighing, she pressed her back to the head board and hugged one of the pillows he'd been using before he left, resigning herself for a fight on his return.

>>>>>>>>>>

AUTHOR'S ASIDE: Ahhhh! Loooong chapter! Sooo looong! Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed it. Just to keep everyone informed, I'm debating about ending this particular project rather soon. As in, maybe another 15-20 chapters soon. Which isn't all that soon, really. It's not a definate or anything, it's just something I'm toying around with...


	33. Chapter 33

The monkey was dead. No, scratch that. The monkey was so dead not even the Merciful Goddess could bring his rotting corpse back. And he wouldn't kill him quickly either, oh no. The moron deserved the slow, lingering death he had in store a hundred times over for this! Sanzo finished settling the sutra across his shoulders as he took the stairs down two at a time. Hakkai was already waiting outside, ready to take him to the jail. The jail... it was the last place he'd ever thought Goku would end up. A restaurant, a bakery, someone's kitchen, but not a jail.

He didn't bother to look over as Hakkai fell into step beside him, matching his brisk pace easily. The other man kept shooting him nervous glances as they walked, which really wasn't doing much to improve his temperment. He was tired (it was four in the godamn morning! What the hell was Goku doing out at four in the morning anyway?) and now he was pissed. If Hakkai was afraid he was going to kill Goku, his fear was well grounded!

"Sanzo?" Hakkai asked timidly.

"Shut up," he growled immediately as he lit a cigarette. He was only going to have one conversation with an idiot, and it wasn't going to be with Hakkai. Luckily, unlike the others, Hakkai knew when to just let the matter drop. He continued to walk a slight pace behind Sanzo but with his mouth shut. Such a blessing the man was compliable on most occassions. Now, if only the other two were more easily trained everything would be just perfect.

They came up to the jail, which was easier to find than he'd thought seeing as it was only one of a handful of places still lit up at this hour. Sanzo ground the end of his cigarette into the dirt, holding that last bit of nicotine in his lungs for as long as he could before releasing it slowly, watching all that soothing grey smoke drift off against an early morning sky. His eyes were burning with the need to sleep, which he'd been about to do until Yaone had gotten serious during their conversation. His gut twisted sharply as he reached for his cigarettes, only to stop mid motion as he remembered he'd be entering the jail very shortly and didn't have time to finish it. He ground his teeth in frustration, clenching his fists to keep from going for the smokes. As if he didn't have enough problems in his life...

_Deal with them one at a time, you fool. Goku first, then Yaone. You don't know yet what she was about to say, so don't rush to conclusions._

No, he didn't know, but gut instinct told him whatever she had to say was not going to be pleasant and was more than likely going to piss him off. Especially if it had jack shit to do with Kougaiji. He didn't want to hear that name at all tonight... this morning... whatever fucking time of day it was! Closing his eyes briefly and taking a deep breath, he muttered, "Let's get this over with." Hakkai didn't say a word as he followed Sanzo through the door way.

The sheriff was arguing with a man in a robe. The man in the robe's face was some ungodly shade of fuschia and his voice kept on climbing higher and higher the more calmly the sheriff tried to speak. It was not doing a goddamn thing for his headache and it certainly wasn't a promising start to negotiating Goku's freedom. Once again, he contemplated just leaving the kid there to rot for a couple years. It would be a good lesson to him if he did. Of course, there was the side effect of constantly hearing the kid whine in his head and being unable to smack him and shut him up. Damn...

"That little prepubescent gutter rat will NOT be released, do you understand me?" the man screamed, stamping a slippered foot on the floor for emphasis.

The sheriff was about to reply when he noticed they had visitors. A relieved look swam over his face before the smile quickly left in place of an awed reverence. Shit... here it comes now. Sanzo braced himself for the usual litany of groveling and sucking up to come out of the man's mouth. It was always the same, and one of the reasons he didn't like his job on most days. "Well, I'll be damned. Looks like that old bastard wasn't lyin' after all. We really do have a sanzo priest in our town!"

Hakkai quickly turned an amused chuckle into a fairly convincing cough as Sanzo snapped a glare in his direction. OKay, so that wasn't exactly what he was expecting, thank the gods, but he wasn't daring to hope much that he'd escape it entirely. Any minute now he was expecting the proclaimations of faith, the begging for blessings and prayers and any other miraculous thing they thought he could do. This was going to be a very long morning. "You've got my servant back there," he said quickly, hoping to keep the unavoidable at bay just a little longer. "How much is the bail?"

"That's just what the mayor and I were talkin' about, Master Sanzo," the sheriff answered gruffly, crossing his arms over his chest. While the expression was carefully blank, there was just a hint of irritation peeking through his dark eyes. He didn't need to say that the conversation with the mayor hadn't been exactly fun. "See, he don't wanna let the two of 'em go due to them trespassin' and stealin' from his orchard. He says the court'll be open in just a couple hours to try and judge the two criminals. So, that means I can't post bail on 'em. Sorry, Master Sanzo, that you came all the way down here for nothin'."

"Now wait just a damn minute," the mayor shouted hastily, his red face having gone remarkably paler in the space of a few minutes. Little sweat beads danced over the skin of his forehead as he cast nervous glances in Sanzo's direction. He almost permitted a smirk at the man's obvious discomfort. It wasn't at all hard to figure out what the politician was thinking; why the hell hadn't he been told about a sanzo being in his town, and how the hell was he going to talk his way out of this little disaster. "Why in the Merciful Goddess' name wasn't I told about Master Sanzo's being here?"

"Sorry, mayor," the sheriff repeated without a trace of remorse in his tone. "Thought you'd be too busy with that underage prostitute you keep callin' on to give a damn about Master Sanzo. Anyway, Master Sanzo, the court opens at seven. You can-,"

"I said just hold on a minute," the mayor shouted again. Sanzo let out an irritated sigh, shifting his weight slightly to one side to relieve the cramping in his leg as he waited for the man to stutter out how sorry he was, how he hadn't known and of course Goku and whatever tart he had locked up with him were free to go. The mayor turned to him with a suitably smooth smile and a perfectly calculated embarrassed chuckle. Three, two, one...

"I do apologize, Master Sanzo," he began, the tone of voice aiming for placating and calming but falling just a little short. It was almost ridiculous after the screaming from not even thirty seconds before. "See, the sheriff here hadn't told me they were in your employ. Of course, they're welcome to whatever they need to make your stay more comfortable."

"Of course they are," Hakkai murmured with equally false understanding. Sanzo remained silent and allowed the other man to handle the political aspects of Operation Free Dumb Monkey. The less he had to say on the matter, the better as far as he was concerned. The mayor was just another annoyance trying to latch his lips on his ass and he wasn't in the mood to deal with it diplomatically. "And obviously Master Sanzo understands that it was simply just a miscommunication. Isn't that correct, Master?"

"Whatever. Where is he?" Sanzo muttered.

The sheriff looked ready to burst out laughing any minute as he nodded off down the hall. Apparently Sanzo wasn't the only one to think the mayor was so full of shit it was leaking out his ears. "Go straight back. Put 'em in the last cell so they weren't bein' bothered too badly by those other folks."

"Thank you very much for that courtesy," Hakkai replied brightly. "May we please have the key so you can continue to speak with the mayor?"

Clever bastard, Sanzo thought as the sheriff begrudgingly passed the keys over. It was obvious the man didn't want to stay and talk with the major now that they were here, but Hakkai hadn't given him much of a choice. At least he didn't have deal with him any longer. Thank the gods for that small miracle. He crossed his arms over his chest as Hakkai found the correct key and began to lead the way.

"A moment, if you would, Master Sanzo," the mayor called as they began to walk away. "If it might please you to-,"

"Whatever you're going to ask is guaranteed not to please me and I don't have a moment or the patience for anymore of your bullshit," he replied curtly. He didn't give a damn that Hakkai was frowning and giving him the Be Nice Glare. He didn't care that the sheriff looked ready to piss himself with laughter or that the mayor looked like he'd just been pistol whipped by a six-year-old girl. All he wanted at that point was to collect the monkey, get back to the inn, crash on the bed for a few hours and wake up to coffee, a paper and Yaone. That wasn't too much to ask, was it?

Hakkai was the first to recover, giving a chuckle that was half amused and half embarassed as he rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish shrug. "Master Sanzo's very grumpy when he's first woken up. Perhaps a little later, after everything is settled?"

"Ah... yes. Of course," the mayor conceded, finally managing to shut his jaw. "How very rude of me, Master Sanzo. I was so overwhelmed by your presence I forgot we'd woken you from your bed. Allow me to make ammends by inviting you and your entourage to stay at my house for as long as you wish."

"Our rooms are fine. Get moving, Hakkai."

"Of course," Hakkai said, a little knowing smile curving his lips. "I understand how very anxious you are to return to the inn. This way, please."

Sanzo waited until the sheriff started distracting the mayor with town talk before he muttered tightly, "Wipe that smile off your face or you'll be joining Goku in the grave." Just because Hakkai knew about Yaone didn't give him the right to be all smug about it. There were other reasons for returning to the inn besides her. Like the fact that he wouldn't get any rest at all at the mayor's house and that he already had his stuff at the inn. Yes... those were two very good un-Yaone related reasons.

"I'm sorry, Sanzo, but it's your own fault this smile is here in the first place."

"You think the situation's funny?"

"I most certainly do."

He rolled his eyes before muttering, "Sick bastard. Get a hobby."

Hakkai laughed softly, eyes drifting warily over the inmates crowding up to the bars curiously. "Um... a word of advice, Sanzo. Watch the fellow in the cell next to Goku."

Sanzo glanced over at the man in question, eyes narrowing as the man licked his lips and edged closer toward to bars. So much for not sticking Goku next to the creeps and the perverts. And speaking of perverts... There was Goku and the girl making out for all the world (or at least the jail) to see in the corner of there cell. "Goku!"

Goku jerked back quickly, cheeks burning red and eyes immediately snapping back into focus. "S-Sanzo! Hey, uh... hey! Didja come to get us out?"

"Unfortunately. Get your perverted ass up and let's go."

"What about Sima?" he asked as he stood up, trotting over to the bars. Hakkai unlocked the door and swung it open to let them out. Goku didn't budge. He tossed and almost defiant glare at Sanzo and said firmly, "I'm not leavin' unless she's comin' too!"

That was it. That was the absolute last straw. Sanzo's teeth ground sharply as he landed a well placed smack of the fan to Goku's head, knocking the boy clean over. "Idiot! Maybe if you hadn't been so busy sucking face you'd have heard the conversation. Your new playmate somehow got thrown into the mix and she's free to go as well. Now, get up off your ass and move it. And you, get your fucking hands off me or I'll shoot you!" He pressed the barrel of the banishing gun into the forehead of the man Hakkai had warned him about. The guy who'd been about to grope his ass.

The Groper swallowed heavily and eased himself away from the gun, backing as far away as the cell would permit. Hakkai shook a finger in the man's direction and said, "I warned you about that before, didn't I? You're very lucky he didn't just shoot you and get it over with. Maybe next time you'll think twice about who exactly you're going to molest."

"Move it, Goku! If you two aren't out of there in thirty seconds, I'm letting the sheriff keep you," Sanzo threatened, turning his back on the pair to stalk back down the hall. His brain was only thinking four words at this point; sleep now and kill monkey. Not necessarily in that order either. There was a mad scuffle behind him as the other two quickly joined their little parade out of the jail. He ignored the mayor calling him over, for once glad Goku's chattering gave him the perfect excuse of not 'hearing' the politician.

It was nearly full dawn out now. One or two small bakeries were open and there were a few street merchants setting up their stalls early in the prime locations for tourists. And that goddamn sun! He squinted as it hit his eyes, throwing a hand up to shield them from the burning glare out of reflex.

"Oh, my... what a beautiful sunrise," Hakkai exclaimed, mimicking Sanzo by shielding his gaze. "And to think we all could have slept through such a wondrous sight!"

"You've seriously got a death wish today, don't you?" Sanzo asked dryly, shaking his head as he began to walk toward that cursed brightness to the blessed relief of thick curtains and a decent bed, providing the other occupant hadn't decided to sprawl across it in his absensce. Of course, if she did then he'd clearly have to wake her up... which wouldn't be such a bad thing. She was damned near hostile when he woke her up early on purpose, and he loved it. Sick? Maybe, but he enjoyed her cussing him out soundly for it.

"So, since it's morning, does that mean we can have breakfast?" Goku asked hopefully.

Sanzo turned just enough to toss a cold glare at the kid, eyes dropping lower when he noticed Goku holding hands with that girl. Great, as if he weren't annoying enough when he was hungry, now he was getting hormonal as well. Fucking brilliant. "Do whatever the hell you want," he replied, turning back around and lighting a cigarette. "I'm going to bed and I don't want any of you disturbing me at all today."

"Does that mean you intend to stay another night, Sanzo?" Hakkai pressed, the polite question carrying a faintly smug edge to it. It made his back stiffen a little indignantly that the green-eyed man was teasing him. One of these days, Hakkai was going to push his luck too far and found out first hand what it feels like to get bitch slapped with a paper fan.

"Yes. Uninterupted, too. That means if one of you gets mortally wounded, die quietly and leave me the hell out of it." Hakkai's chuckle followed after him as he left the three behind. Goku was still asking desperately about breakfast, voice growing a little louder as Hakkai pretended to think about the issue. There was no doubt Hakkai would give in and find the brat something to eat. He never was one to stand long before Goku's whining.

He didn't really remember the walk back or how he dragged himself up three flights of stairs to the room, unlocking the door and slipping into the darkened room. However he did it, he didn't care. He was just relieved to be back. The heavy curtains had been drawn closed securely against the dawn light, which still filtered through in pale gaps. It was still dark enough to be condusive to sleep, though. Shaking off the yawn that threatened to break, Sanzo removed the sutra and took the time needed to roll it up neatly. The rest of the gear hit the floor without much regard.

Stripped down to only his jeans, he went over to the bed, noting the dark lumpy shape that meant Yaone had indeed taken over the entire area. One pale hand was draped over the edge of the mattress, the other clutching a pillow over her head where dark hair spilled free. Another pillow was under her head, one more under the arm hanging over the side and still yet another half hidded under her stomach. She'd somehow managed to twist all but the throw blanket around her bare legs and waist, nearly hiding the fact that she was wearing that blue shirt of his to bed. HIS shirt! What the fuck?

Scowling, Sanzo crawled onto the bed, nudging the small of her back with his knee just hard enough to make her jump, the pillow over her head falling away to reveal heavily lidded copper-brown eyes peeking out through strands of black. "Shove over," he ordered, jerking one of the seemingly five-million pillows out from around her.

"God... you're such an asshole in the morning," she muttered bitterly, rolling over and away from him before grabbing the nearest pillow and hugging it fiercely. "I just fell asleep, you know."

"If you're looking for sympathy, go elsewhere. Now, share the damn blankets!"

Yaone mumbled something unintelligible as she pulled and yanked halfheartedly at the covers binding her in place. Sanzo waited, lips twitching slightly to keep the amused smirk from surfacing during her fight to free herself from the clinging sheets and winding cotton comforter. After several minutes, a few 'damn its' and just a couple 'shits', she managed to untwist enough of the blankets for his use. Yaone rolled back over again and allowed him to stretch out beside her. He curled one arm under his pillow and kept his gun hand between them but not touching. He wasn't in the mood for body contact, just sleep.

"That was very cruel of you," she complained, voice muffled as it was half buried in one of her pillows once again. "First the rude wake up call, and now ruining my perfect sleeping spot. So very, very cruel!"

"Tough shit. Why are you wearing my shirt?"

She finally decided to turn her head about and meet his half-closed gaze with one of her own. Despite the gloss of exhaustion in her eyes, he could still see some of the warmth she usually directed at him there. And, even in his barely conscious state of mind, it still managed to sink and touch him. A faint trickle of that nameless emotion wound it's way through his stomach and chest. Everytime she was with him...

"You'll tell me I'm an idiot if I explain," she answered softly, her fingers picking idly at the sheets beneath. That was one of her little quirks, the one that meant she really wanted to touch him but wouldn't because he obviously didn't reciprocate the need.

Sanzo picked the pieces of loose hair away from her face to settle the elsewhere. There was nothing caring or gentle about the gesture, no 'delicate brush of fingers' or whatever the hell else could be used to describe the action. It was simply him moving her hair back by picking up the strands and dropping them behind her shoulder so he could see her more clearly. "Just answer the question."

Biting her lower lip, Yaone eased a fraction of an inch closer to him, idly running her claws down his chest. He didn't tell her to stop. He'd initiated it, after all. "Well, it could be because it smells like you and I missed having you here."

"You're an idiot."

"Or," she continued, managing to give him a mock glare despite being woken abruptly. "It could be because in my haste to come see you, I forgot to pack anything to wear to bed. So, I borrowed one of your extra shirts. But you can pick which answer you like better."

He closed his eyes as he turned over, his back to her so he could face the door. Sanzo ignored the little protesting sound from her and the way she reluctantly removed her hand from her back. "You're still an idiot."

"Ah."

"But the first one is more believable." He twisted his neck about just enough to catch the irritated wrinkling of her nose before he resettled back into his pillow intent on catching a few hours of sleep. Of course he didn't honestly think the first one was true! Yaone was far too practical for things like that. Besides, who wanted to smell their lover's old shirts anyway? 'Because it smells like you'... Well, yeah, no surprise there. Sweat and soap weren't exactly arousing scents, at least in his opinion. Her perfume, though... now THAT was a rather stimulating smell. He'd asked her about it before and she'd told him it was some kind of flower (couldn't exactly remember what kind of flower though) and he'd left it like that. He'd been curious, that was all. It wasn't like he was going to buy it for her or anything.

"Of course you would," she responded before yawning. "Go to sleep. I can't deal with you right now."

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" he replied. "You _were_ the one crowding my bed."

"I was only keeping it warm until you got back. Now that you're here, I'll stick to my own side."

Naturally, she said that as she slid a leg over his and tucked one arm lightly around his waist. So much for the staying on her side part. He allowed the contact, if only because he had to admit that it wasn't as unwelcomed as he'd tried to make himself believe it was. That didn't mean he wanted to hold hands in public or anything. Just that... it wasn't bad. Sanzo let out a long breath that bordered very close to a sigh and relaxed just enough for the weariness to take over and drag him down. He could worry about what she'd been trying to tell him after a little sleep.

----------

He really wished the palace floor was a monster to swallow him up. Being crushed to death by massive teeth and foul breath was a more preferable predicament than what he was in right then. Kougaiji's eyes quickly scanned through the crowds of people in hopes of making eye contact with someone he knew. Someone who would help him out of this situation. As his rotten luck would have it, anyone who could help him was occupied elsewhere. He was doomed.

"And, I kid you not, Your Highness, I said to her, 'Oh, shut up, you stupid cow'. She about _died_ of embarassment!" The young woman clinging to his arm giggled into her hand, flashing coy blue eyes in his direction.

If the gods had any sense of justice, they would send a stray arrow from the watch towers to strike him dead. Kougaiji forced a polite smile as he tried to maintain some distance between himself and the woman's breasts threatening to fall out of her dress and attack him. This had been Gyokumen Koushu's brilliant idea. Invite all the nobles and remaining youkai royalty to celebrate her birthday, and then inform them falsely that he was looking for a wife. It had taken him only five minutes of being swarmed by giggling, sighing females flinging themselves at his feet to figure out why she'd been so insistant he attend in proper court attire instead of his usual fighting gear.

"Did I mention the time myself and two of my girlfriends went to the lake and Sanjyu was like, 'Oh, no-,"

"Yes, I believe so," Kougaiji interupted hastily as he finally managed to free himself from the death grip she had on his arm. "Excuse me, there's a small matter of business I have to attend to."

"Remember, you owe me a dance," she called after him with a flutter of fingers.

Dance... yeah, right! Like hell he was going to dance. Kougaiji waved away the servants who began to come toward him with drinks, walking briskly out into the night air of the open gallery doors. His boots crunched under the dry ground where there once used to be a rather nice lawn and he didn't stop until he was around the corner and away from the party still carrying on. Once completely out of sight, he pressed his back against the wall of Houtu Castle and slowly sank down into the dirt, uncaring if the imported, hand-dyed silk of his pants got ruined. Gods... and to think that last had been the best of the group!

First there'd been the girl who'd been so nervous she'd had to turn aside just to avoid vomiting on him. Always a good sign. Shortly after that came the girl with the sniffling nose who had a habit of putting her face about an inch away from his when they were talking because she was so near sighted. Why she couldn't just get glasses and maintain a respectable distance was beyond him. Next was the girl who said that famine would be a good thing so the 'filthy commoners would hurry and die off'. He hadn't bothered being polite about leaving her. Oh, and how could he forget the one who made it a point of telling him that she was going to bear him twelve children. All of them named after him, too. Even the girls.

He shook his head, raking his claws back through his hair irritably. What had Gyokymen Koushu done, told the nobles to bring out their dullest and most mentally unattractive daughters for his perusal? He wouldn't put it passed her to do just that. She was up to something, that was for certain. Why else distract him with playing the host to a sea of potential matches? Kougaiji sighed, staring down at the dark lines of stitches across his palms. The remainders of the knife wounds barely even a week ago. He rubbed his thumb across one of them, feeling the difference in texture from his calloused palm and the rough tugging of the sutures. Yaone had done an incredible job of fixing those wounds. He'd been lucky, yes, that he hadn't cut through the nerves, but if she hadn't been there...

He wished she was here tonight. Usually for these types of events, she and Dokugakuji tag teamed in helping him escape some of the more unpleasant aspects of the evening. Like the unavoidable introductions to daughters, nieces, granddaughters and cousins. While Dokugakuji did have some help in the form of his lover, Lixue, neither of them were quite the deterrent that Yaone usually was. After all, most everyone assumed they were sharing a bed anyway. If only that were true.

Kougaiji closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. Why couldn't he just say it? It really wasn't that hard and he'd said it plenty of times in his head. So why was it everytime he worked up the nerve to do it he would back down as soon as he saw her? Yaone was his ideal. From the first time he'd seen her in chains, being led away for Hyakugen Maoh's appetites, he'd known deep down she was it. He'd seen the intelligence behind the tears, had felt a little piece of himself melt at the hopelessness on her face and had wanted to ease that. He'd told her back then that he hadn't saved her for any romantic reasons. Obviously, he'd been lying to her as well as himself. He wanted just once for her to look at him without that edge of reverence in her eyes. He wanted her to see him as a man, not a prince.

There was a time where he'd almost have sworn she did feel something for him. It had been a while back, only a few months after she'd first entered his service. Sometimes, he would catch her watching him when she thought he couldn't see. Whenever she realized it, she'd quickly look elsewhere with that lovely blush coloring her cheeks. He'd been too afraid back then of saying anything because everything was still so new to her. A new home, new job, new lifestyle to get acustomed to. He didn't want her to think he'd lied about working for him as a way of getting her to be his concubine. Kougaiji grit his teeth at the ugly word. Never that. Yaone would never simply be his concubine. That was Gyokumen Koushu's title, and Yaone was a hundred times the woman that bitch would ever be.

It was stupid to think about her when she wasn't here. Dokugakuji had told him she was sick. He didn't buy it for a minute. Yaone being 'sick' usually meant she'd disappeared again, probably off to see Cho Hakkai. He could understand the attraction for the green-eyed youkai, even if he didn't like it one bit. For the enemy, Hakkai was a fairly decent person. Brutal in a fight to the point where Kougaiji would almost rather face the banishing gun than the chi blast, but still nice. He wished it was possible to hate Hakkai... but he couldn't. There wasn't anything to hate about the man, other than the fact that Yaone was attracted to him.

Kougaiji closed his eyes tightly and mentally kicked himself once again for not having made his intentions known sooner. Now, she was with someone else. She was being held by him, kissed by him...

A presence flopping into the dirt next to him with a heavy sigh drew him sharply out of those disturbing thoughts. Lirin sat with the long, tighter skirt to her dress bunched up over her protruding knees, the deep purple silk catching in the moonlight. "This sucks," she declared loudly, dropping her head into her hands. She balanced her elbows on her knees, scowling at the elegantly styled curls brushing near her face. She'd obviously been forced to dress up as well and wasn't a little bit happy about it.

He smiled at his half-sister, punching her shoulder teasingly. "I'm not arguing."

"I hate these stupid things," Lirin continued to rail. "All those dumb boys tryin' to get me to dance. An' all those girl... heeheehee." She did a pretty fair mimicry of their giggles before the scowl settled back in place.

Kougaiji let a soft chuckle escape his parted lips. "And the food," he added. All the food was cooked to Gyokumen Koushu's liking, and the woman had no discernable palate to begin with.

"Ugh! Never knew they could DO THAT to noodles! And everyone in there seems to like it. I hope I never get a grown up stomach, big brother. That'd be gross!"

He ruffled his sister's hair carefully, not wanting to mess the perfectly arranged strands too badly. Gyokumen Koushu's servants had clearly taken a long time on making the princess look the part. And was that... was Lirin wearing lipstick? It wasn't the deep crimson her mother wore, but it was lipstick nonetheless. And when she closed her eyes, he noticed the thickly packed on black eyeliner, shimmery stuff on the lids and some false blush. That he couldn't get used to. Lirin, his little sister, dressed up and looking older than she actually was. She looked old enough to be dating, and he didn't like that at all. Wasn't it enough Gyokumen Koushu was a whore? Did she really have to try and whore Lirin out as well? He could tell from the way she kept pressing her lips together she didn't like it either.

Fishing around in a pocket, he handed over a handkerchief. "Get that stuff off your face."

"Thank yoooou! It's been buggin' me all night," Lirin groaned, wiping at her face furiously. "Mom's not gonna like it."

"Blame it on me."

"Yeah, but then she'll be mad at you, and I don't like when she's mad at you."

Kougaiji offered a brief smile at that statement. Despite being a handful and then some, Lirin really was a very caring girl. He remembered the first time he'd seen her, after being freed from the sealed tomb. He hadn't been able to believe that the little girl hiding behind Gyokumen Koushu's robes was _his_ sister. At first, he hadn't wanted much to do with her. She was the offspring between his father and his father's mistress. He'd avoided her when he could, ignored her completely when she'd approach him. But she didn't let his apparent coldness get to her and chattered on as if he really were listening, clinging to his coat tails so to speak. He couldn't understand with the way he treated her those first few months why she kept following him around and talking to him. It was really rather irritating, until one day he decided to ask her point blank about it.

_"Why do you keep bothering me?"_

_"Well... it's cuz I never had a big brother. And I like you."_

_"Why? You don't know me."_

_"Yes, I do! You're Kougaiji, my brother."_ That one brief exchanging of words had changed everything for him. Lirin was his sister, the only family he had besides his mother. He'd promised himself that day that he'd always be there for her. Always be her 'big brother'.

A sharp tapping of a claw against his head made him arch a brow and jerked him out of that little conversation. "Big brooother? You in there?" Lirin teased.

She squeaked when his hand shot toward her lightening fast to poke against her sides, just under her ribs. The squeak quickly turned to a wild laughter as she tried to stop him from tickling her. "St-op! No fair... Kou-gai-ji!"

"Sorry, what was that?" he asked over her protesting howls of laughter. "I can't hear you if you keep laughing."

"Stop! That... tickles!"

"Good, that's the point!" He sat back only after she was breathless and hiccuping, grinning down at her disheveled appearance. THAT was how Lirin should look. Hair messed up, dirt smeared on her cheeks and a big grin lighting up her eyes. "Ow!" He rubbed his arm as she punched it as hard as she could.

"Now mom's REALLY gonna be pissed at me," Lirin shouted, but she wasn't at all angry with him. She was still grinning from ear to ear with dancing green eyes. It was impossible not to grin in answer to that look. Both of them froze when music from the party started to drift out into the breeze and find them. He could hear Lirin's nervous gulp over the orchestra notes easily. They both knew it was only a matter of time until...

"Lady Lirin!"

"Prince Kougaiji?"

Great... their dance partners were trying to locate them. He looked over as Lirin groaned and stood up, trying to dust her dress off. "I guess we've gotta go," she mumbled. She gave a little huff that blew her mussed up curls out of her eyes briefly. Still pouting, she made as if to round the corner, stopping when Kougaiji wrapped a hand around her wrist.

"You're forgetting something, Lirin."

"Huh?"

"We're royalty. We don't have to do a damn thing if we don't want to." He gave her a meaningful look before indicating the people calling them with his head

A slow grin started to return to her face as what he said sank in. "Yeah... hey, yeah, that's right!"

Kougaiji stood and knew the grin on his face was nothing but mischievous. "So... fire works on the south wall?"

"C'mon, I know a short cut through the kitchens!" Lirin grabbed his wrist and started running with him away from the lights and voices calling for them to come back to the party. She was having problems with the long, tight skirt and the little heeled shoes she had on, but they still managed to sneak away and down a few narrow, unused hallways to the kitchens below. It didn't surprise him at all she knew the short cuts to the castle. After all, she was the queen of escape artists!

The servants looked up in surprise, some managing quick bows as they breezed in, Lirin pausing long enough to raid the pastry station for a few mini cakes and handmade chocolates. She piled them onto a small platter and hurried after him as he continued on.

"You never saw us, is that clear?" Kougaiji called back as they hurried out the back door where deliveries were brought. The head cook was the first to recover from the shock and offer a tentative affirmation to the order before shouting at the servants to get back to work.

"Heehee... you're so funny, Kougaiji," Lirin snickered, glancing over her shoulder and up at him. She was being extremely careful with her 'precious cargo', holding the tray with both hands and taking careful steps.

"How do you figure that?" he demanded, taking the stairs up to the south wall two at a time. The guards at the top of the stairs instantly sprang to attention, eyes questioning what the two were doing there when they should be enjoying themselves at the party. If only they knew the horrors that awaited them if they were there!

"I dunno, you just are," she persisted. She found a spot that faced out over the open courtyard area where there was once grass and running fountains. The fountains had been torn down and grass trodden into dirt long ago from all the recruit training that occured on a daily basis. His father had never allowed the troops inside the walls for training. The gardens and the courtyards were his mother's and she'd been allowed to keep them as a sort of thank you for his birth.

He sat down next to her with his legs hanging over the edge and took the cake she passed over to him, laughing to himself when he noticed the chocolate already smeared across her lips. Yaone would have chastized her and told her to clean herself up. _If_ she were here, that is. He shifted a little, staring down at the untouched cake in his hand. If she were here...

Lirin waved a hand in front of his face and swallowed her cake quickly. "Hey, what's wrong? You're actin' all weird an' stuff."

Kougaiji forced a cheerful smile and ruffled her hair. "I was just thinking."

"Well, stop it! It makes you look sad." She shoved the rest of her cake in her mouth and reached for another one immediately. A shrill whistling sound pierced the night followed by a chest-thumping boom and a burst of red color. "Ooo... pretty! Big brother, look!" Another firework exploded and showered the sky in white and blue sparks.

He leaned back a bit on his elbows to watch the display, glancing over occassionally at his sister and the rapturous expression on her face. She looked so completely happy in that one moment it made his chest ache. She should always be this happy, he thought with a sigh. An impossible thing considering the war and the fact that her mother was a heinous bitch.

"I wish Yaone was here," Lirin said into the silence, nearly making him fall off the wall as she spoke his very thoughts outloud. "She's been sick a lot, hasn't she? I hope she's okay."

Kougaiji swallowed the cake he'd just bitten into and offered what he hoped was a convincing smile. "I'm sure she's fine, Lirin. Don't worry about it."

His sister gave him what could almost be considered a thoughtful look. "Ya know... I don't think she's really sick."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Reason I think that is cuz Sparky's gone and I didn't take him. But why would she go away?"

He didn't answer that, opting for the excuse of finishing the little cake off instead. So, Lirin's dragon was gone again. He would bet any amount of money right then that if he were to go to Yaone's room, she wouldn't be there. This meant Dokugakuji had lied to him. The swordsman knew she was gone and probably knew where she went. He wasn't angry about it, though. He knew Dokugakuji was only trying to keep them both safe. Her from being discovered and him from having to face the fact that he'd been too slow to act. Sparky going missing pretty much confirmed his fears. Yaone was seeing Hakkai. A mass murdering, half blind, boring as hell...

Decent guy. Someone he knew would take very good care of her and make her happy. Shit.

"Kougaiji, do you like Yaone?"

Kougaiji snapped out of the depression that was quickly closing in at the startlig question. Lirin was watching him from narrowed eyes and munching on another cake. "What do you mean? Of course I like Yaone. She's a very nice person," he answered, hoping he could 'play dumb' on this one.

Lirin rolled her eyes and said around the cake still being mashed up in her mouth, "That's not what I was askin', big brother, an' you know it! I mean, do you LIKE her? As in, like-like her?"

"Why?"

"Cuz you should say somethin'! Maybe if you say somethin' she won't go sneakin' out. It's really dangerous an' if she gets hurt no one's gonna know where to look."

He regarded her with narrowed eyes and a small smile, surprised as anything that she'd said that. It wasn't that Lirin was selfish and didn't think of others. More like he'd told her the same damn thing several times over, and here she was tossing it back in regards to Yaone. Was what he told her finally sinking in to that thick skull? "Yaone can take care of herself, Lirin," he replied softly. "And perhaps you should take your own advise in the future."

She snickered, eyes dancing merrily. "Thought you wouldn't notice that! But, I'm bein' serious. Yaone's my friend. She's like... I dunno... a sister? I don't like her sneakin' off an' not even tellin' Doku. That's not very cool."

"Well, now you know how we all feel when you go running off without a word. And you're much younger than she is, too."

"Yeah, I guess... but you should still say somethin'."

He sighed and sat up, holding his hand out for her to take. Her small fingers curled around his and he squeezed them briefly before saying, "Okay. When she comes back, I promise I will."

Lirin's grin was almost as bright as the fireworks and, before he knew it, he had a lapful of princess strangling him in a tight hug. "YAY! An' you better do it, cuz if you don't..."

Kougaiji only gave her a tight smile in response as she drew back and resumed her spot to 'oo' and 'ah' over the fireworks. Some of what she'd said had made sense. Maybe if he _did_ tell Yaone how he felt, she wouldn't have to meet Hakkai. Maybe if she knew someone here loved her, she wouldn't have to look outside of Houtu Castle for it. He let out a low breath again as his stomach rolled over on itself. Even with those positive thoughts echoing in his head, he still felt ready to puke at having to say all this to her. He'd made a promise though, and he never broke a promise, especially not to his sister. Laying back again to look up at the sky being torn open by flashes and sparks of various colors, he made a promise to himself as well that when Yaone did return, they were going to have a talk. Maybe.

----------

Hakkai smiled at the waitress as she set still more food down in front of them. Goku and Gojyo were shoveling away, cramming french fries and club sandwiches into their mouths as fast a possible. "You two do know this is a restaurant and that the likelihood of them running completely out of food is slim, right?" he questioned, cutting a small bit of very rare steak to pass back to Hakuryuu.

"Gotta eat it before the stomach over here," Gojyo replied, quickly snatching the plate of cheese sticks from the middle of the table.

"An' I've gotta eat quick, too. I've got a date," Goku added, making a grab for another roll.

Gojyo choked on a cheese stick, crimson eyes wide and watering. "What... the fuck... did you say?"

Goku made an annoyed face that was an exagerated form of Sanzo's and said, "Stupid kappa! You heard me. I. Have. A. Date!"

"With who, another monkey?"

"Grr... no! With Sima. We're gonna go on a picnic."

Gojyo and Hakkai exchanged glances before their eyes fell to the plates of food on the table. The plates of food Goku had ordered and was now stuffing himself with. Swallowing the last bit of deep fried mozzarella, Gojyo said thoughtfully, "So, lemme get this straight. You and your girl-monkey are going on a date, right? And the date is a picnic? Where they have food?"

"Yup. An' she's not a monkey either," Goku corrected with an angry scowl. "So, don't start callin' her that and don't look at her with your pervy eyes!"

"Oh-ho, look who's being the jealous monkey," Gojyo crowed, sitting back in his chair with an evil grin. "And I don't have pervy eyes. They're sexy, and if your she-chimp can't keep HER eyes off ME because they're so sexy, then that's just your fucking problem, isn't it?"

"I'm warnin' you, Gojyo..."

"What are you gonna do, kick my ass? I'd love to see it, kid!"

"Water sprite!"

"Baby monkey!"

"Cockroach!"

"Oh my, is that cheesecake?" Hakkai smiled as both immediately stopped the fight to watch the waitress bring out four slices of cheesecake to their table. He'd ordered it long before they'd joined him and had told her to wait until he gave the signal before bringing it out. While they'd been fighting. he'd made eye contact with her and she'd nodded, understanding. It was an underhanded method, but he was tired himself and really wasn't in any condition to deal with their arguing in a civilized manner. If it weren't for cheesecake, he probably would have used the paper he was saving for Sanzo in the capacity of a fan on their heads.

"Ooh... cheese-,"

"-Cake."

Two sets of eyes followed each slice as they were set on the table, two for each of them. And, just like that, the fighting ended as they quickly scarfed down the wonders of cheesecake. He knew Sanzo would be rather angry over him feeding Goku such a rich desert during lunch (or breakfast for them, seeing as no one was up before noon), but if it bought him just a little peace of mind, he wasn't at all above bribery via food.

Gojyo finished first, standing up and swigging back the last of his coffee, which had long ago grown cold. He grimaced, shivered a little and set the cup down on the table before stretching. "Well, I'm gonna go get cleaned up. You need help with the groceries, Hakkai?"

"Yes, if you don't mind."

"I don't. It'll give me a chance to see the sights, if you know what I mean."

"Mm... I'm afraid I do, Gojyo. The list is relatively short, so we should be done fairly quickly. Namely cigarettes and bullets."

Gojyo sneered as he lit a cigarette up, blowing the smoke away from the table. "Or we could just skip the bullets and let that lazy bastard of a monk fight like a man instead of a girl. Oh, look at me! I'm Sanzo and I'm too scared to take a punch!" The last was said in a very high-pitched feminine voice. Which wasn't the smartest thing to do when said bastard of a monk was standing directly behind him.

Hakkai winced at the familiar sound of a fan being brought down against someone's skull. It sounded as if Sanzo had struck with more force than usual with that one. A sharp thud followed this as Gojyo was knocked completely to the ground.

"OW! That fucking HURT!"

"What was that about me fighting like a girl?" Sanzo snarled. Hakkai opened his eyes slowly, breathing a sigh of relief that Gojyo wasn't bleeding as far as he could tell. Yet. With those murderous violet eyes pinned to him though... if he wasn't careful, there was a good chance Sanzo would beat him to death.

"It was just a joke, man! Lighten up," Gojyo explained quickly, backing away as Sanzo took a menacing step closer.

"Wow... you really beat the hell outta him," Goku muttered.

_WHACK!_

"OOOOOW! Sanzo, what was that for?"

"This morning, dumb ass. And this," he swung again and elicited another pained groan, "Was for getting your ass in jail last night! If you ever do something that stupid again, I'm leaving you there!"

"You wouldn't really... would you?" Goku asked, eyes wide and fear filled.

"Don't tempt me," the blonde muttered before looking down at the mauled food in disgust. "Is there anything the nasty kappa didn't touch?"

"You prick! What the- okay, okay!" Gojyo stopped mid rant as the fan was raised threateningly again.

Hakkai continued to smile through all this and poured Sanzo a cup of coffee. "I'm afraid not. If I'd known you'd be joining us for breakfast, I would have ordered you something," he explained as he handed the black liquid up.

Sanzo took it and swallowed a healthy mouthful of the steaming coffee. "Send it up to my room. There's no way in hell I'm sitting down here with them after what happened."

"Of course, I understand." Hakkai's eyes flickered over briefly to the slight annoyed wrinkling of Goku's nose. Goku was trying not to let on that he knew the real reason Sanzo was dining in his room, but the boy was never very good at hiding his expressions. All he could hope was that Gojyo wouldn't notice. Which, thankfully, he didn't, Hakkai realized when he looked over at the red-head and found him occupied with two female patrons, one of them from the night before if he was correct. Any minute now, and Gojyo would ask to get out of shopping duties...

"Yo, 'Kai, you think you can handle the shopping yourself today?" Gojyo called over, one arm already wrapped around the girl with hazel eyes.

"Certainly, Gojyo," he answered automatically.

"Where ya goin', Gojyo?" Goku piped up, looking around Sanzo's narrow waist at the kappa.

A slow, decidedly indecent grin spread across Gojyo's face. "To the rodeo."

"What's a rodeo?"

The girl in his arms snickered, her grin matching his. "It's a place where people ride wild animals and try to hold on as long as possible while they get bucked up and down," Gojyo answered. Hakkai buried his face in his hands to hide the blush he could feel spreading up his forehead. Sanzo was very carefully putting his coffee on the table and also very carefully avoiding eye contact with his charge.

Goku scratched his head, puzzled. "Um... why would they do that? Doesn't seem like much fun to me."

"Think about it, Goku," Gojyo called over his shoulder as he led the two women out.

"Wait... I don't... Sanzo, what's he mean by that?"

Sanzo very slowly refilled his coffee and still wouldn't meet Goku's questioning gaze. "Do yourself a favor, Goku, and don't think about it. It'll only lead to very bad things."

"But, I don't get it! Why's Gojyo goin' to a rodeo? An' why would anyone... EEEEWWWW! Ew, gods... oh, GROSS!" Goku fell right off his chair and rubbed his eyes as if he could dig the visions right out of his skull. "He wasn't really talkin' about a rodeo, was he? An' the wild animals... that's just nasty!"

"Sanzo did warn you not to think about it, Goku," Hakkai admonished, finally lowering his hands from his face. He calmly poured more coffee for himself and emptying their caraffe. "And what time is your date?"

Goku sat up with big eyes and ran for the door. "Oh, no, I'm gonna be late! 'Bye, Hakkai! 'Bye, Sanzo!"

"Wait... what date? Who the hell do you have a date with?" Sanzo shouted after him, nearly dropping the cigarette from his mouth on shock. "Goku!"

Goku skidded to a halt at the door and shouted back, "With Sima! An' I've gotta go!"

"We're leaving tomorrow- fuck!" Sanzo sat down gruffly in Gojyo's vacated chair as the boy sprinted from the inn without listening to him. Lighting his cigarette, he took a couple puffs before asking, "Is Sima the girl from last night?"

"Yes," Hakkai answered, amused to no end over the careful blankness on the monk's face. He didn't need to read Sanzo's expression to know what was going on in his head. The questions were enough. Sanzo was behaving like a worried parent over the fact that Goku was now officially dating. Of course, Hakkai wasn't foolish enough to ever accuse him of it. He'd been fortunate this entire trip not to get shot at, hit with the fan, punched out or verbally abused by the furious monk, and he'd like to keep it that way.

"Hmph. If they get arrested this time, I'm not bailing them out," Sanzo mumbled.

"Naturally. What would you like for breakfast? And, any special requests for the shopping list?"

Sanzo knocked his ash into a tray nearby and shook his head. "No, to the special request. For breakfast, use your best judgement. Is that my paper?"

Hakkai handed it over to him. "My best judgement? Nothing specific?"

"She said anything. I don't eat breakfast, so I don't know what 'anything' entails."

"Ah." It was obvious the answer of 'anything' hadn't been satisfactory for Sanzo. Sanzo didn't like guessing games, but Hakkai was certain Yaone was the type where anything truly would have been fine with her. "Is it safe to assume everything is fine in regards to her?" he asked carefully, knowing full well he was prying and ran the risk of being hit with the fan. He couldn't help but ask after their brief conversation a day or two ago. He didn't want to believe Yaone would do something like that, but Sanzo's gut instincts were usually right on.

"It's fine." This was said with a slight tightness that implied it wasn't completely fine but that he didn't want to talk about it. Fair enough, seeing as he _was_ sticking his nose into Sanzo's private affairs.

"If you say so. I'll place an order before leaving. Will we be leaving tomorrow morning?"

"I don't know yet. Ask me later." Sanzo stood from the table again, finishing off his coffee and tucking the paper under his robe.

"Very well," Hakkai responded before a gentle nip to his ear reminded him that Hakuryuu was still perched on his shoulder and waiting for his steak. "Oh, I'm sorry, Hakuryuu! I sincerely wasn't ignoring you on purpose." The little dragon cooed happily as another piece of bloody meat was offered up to him.

----------

Gojyo swirled the whiskey in his glass idly, giving Nariko his most charming smile. It was one of those smiles that started low in the stomach, up through the shoulders to make them curve slightly forward, down his arms and hands so that the ash knocking off the end of his cigarette was an almost languid gesture. It lifted one corner of his mouth slowly, an almost boyish innocence that was made a lie when the other corner decided to join in and show there was nothing boyish at all to Sha Gojyo.

Nariko smirked from across the table, pushing her plate of food away. He liked the fact that she ate _real_ food, bot that salad shit a lot of women seemed to order when he took them out. She went straight for the steak... and he was glad to pay for it with Goku's money that Hakkai let him win in the last game of mahjong. He watched as she brought the glass of whiskey to her lips, tongue flicking out to catch an errant drop that just missed her lips. It was hard to tell if she was just that damned good at teasing or was merely saving good whiskey from a cruel fate on the table top. Whatever it was, it was fucking hot to see!

"You sure you have to leave in the morning, gorgeous?" she asked, running a single nail down his bare forearm.

"Yeah," he drawled, turning his hand over when her finger moved lower. It made a shiver run up his spine when it traced over his wrist, right where a hickey was. Wrists, neck, inside of the thighs and pretty much anywhere on his stomach were massive hot spots for him. And it just so happened he had little red marks in all those spots from the woman sitting across from him. "That fucking dickwad-monk doesn't like to get cozy in one place too long."

"Bummer. Maybe he just needs to get laid. I've got a friend who'd probably take him on."

"What, is she a masochist?"

Nariko grinned, hazel eyes catching the light brightly. "For a blonde? Hell, yeah. She's not one to squabble so long as the guy is blonde and pretty."

"And that's about the only thing that bastard is. No social grace, no charming personality... so sad." He feigned the appropriate expression to go with the mocking tone, one hand going to his heart dramatically. "If only he were more like me..."

She cracked up laughing, tossing her head back and letting her long hair drop down her back. "Yeah, like you want competition like that!"

Gojyo grimaced and quickly finished his whiskey, holding the glass up to get the waitress' attention. She had a good point. If Sanzo ever did decide to join the dating scene for real, he'd be in trouble. Hakkai was pretty, but he was the type to get the smart girls. The ones who did science projects in school and were cute but not hot. Goku could have all the younger chicks he wanted. It kept them off himself, which was good. Sanzo though... that'd be a pissing match if ever there was one! He had money, he had social status, he was definately not bad looking for a dick-on-a-stick. Gojyo was very glad that Sanzo was a monk and was already spoken for. Sort of.

His breath caught in his chest when Nariko brought his wrist to her mouth, tongue licking over marked skin. She drew back, a little triumphant smile on her lips. "Thought that'd get your attention again."

"Sorry, babe. Just thinking back over how very naught I've been," he replied quickly, taking a sip from his freshly refilled glass. He wasn't hungry at all, but he couldn't let a beautiful woman sit in a restaurant and drink alone. It was just ungentlemanly.

"Oh?" she purred. "Why worry about how naughty you were when you can just get even more naughty now?"

"Hmm... good point. I'm thinking baby oil." He freed his hand to tuck strands of hair behind her ear, running his fingers down her cheek and along her jaw line. Her lips closed briefly over a finger tip and drew his attention from her eyes down there to watch. Shit... they should get the check soon. Very soon. He leaned forward across the table, not only to get closer to her but to ease the tightness in his jeans. Goddamn it all to hell, he'd gotten button fly jeans just because the zippers were so uncomfortable! They didn't work, and now he was pissed he spent forty fucking bucks on the damn things, even if they made his ass look good.

"Baby oil, huh? And what can we do with baby oil?"

"Well, we can always slick each other up, spread out a shower curtain and roll around for a bit."

"Oo, sounds fun." She was just that slight little inch away from kissing him, her words murmured against his lips, breath hot and mingling with his own.

"And of course we'll have to shower to clean up," he said, flicking his tongue out quickly against her mouth.

"Of course." Nariko crossed that final half inch that brought their mouths completely together, his hand moving from her cheek back into her hair to cradle the back of her head in his palm. They stopped just short of tongue, but it was still fucking hot enough to draw a few stares. Gojyo had to pry himself back into his seat and away from her before he decided to fuck her right there and now. There were always the bathrooms... he hadn't had sex in a public bathroom in years. Cramped, but in a pinch, they were effective.

"So, you wanna get the bill while I run to the bathroom?" she asked, her skin a little more flushed than usual and eyes half closed sensuously. Gods, gods, GODS, he needed to get laid as soon as possible by her!

Gojyo nodded once, taking a slow drag from his cigarette as she stood. "Yeah, no problem. I'll be here."

"If you expect to tap this ass, you better be," she threatened as she disappeared around the corner.

He watched her go before allowing himself a big, goofy grin. He was gonna get laid! He was gonna get laid! If he weren't in public with a gorgeous female coming back any minute, he'd almost do a happy little dance. There were the four times last night, the two times when he woke up this morning, and then this entire afternoon and evening. Not bad. Not bad at all. He chuckled to himself and drank some more whiskey.

The door to the restaurant opened and a man entered, walking straight up to the bar. Gojyo recognized him as the guy who worked the front desk of the inn the day before. He watched as the man greeted the bartender warmly and ordered a vodka and cranberry. What the fuck? What the hell kind of man drank that shit? Such a fucking girl-drink! Maybe the guy was gay... that would explain why he kept looking at Hakkai all weird. Poor Hakkai... no wonder he wasn't getting any girls. They all must think he's queer.

"Yo, so dude, you shoulda seen this chick who walked in last night," the man from the inn was saying with a dirty leer. "Goddamn, man, I tell ya, she was, like, fucking HOT!"

That got his attention. As a great appreciator of the female body, he was surprised he didn't pick up on any hot chicks strolling into their inn. Shit, was he slipping?

"No shit?" the bartender asked with a snicker. "So, dude, what room's she stayin' in? Maybe I'll pay her a visit and... ya know... smack her fine ass a bit!"

Gojyo rolled his eyes. Yeah, like that kind of attitude would fly with the ladies. He wouldn't be surprised if the reason the bartender's nose was crooked was because some girl got mad and decked his ass out. Dirty talk was all fine and good, but some guys were just stupid about how they used it.

"Eh, don't bother. She went up to that sanzo priest's room. I think she's a fucking priestess or somethin'. If she is... goddamn, I'm gonna join me a temple if that's what the priestesses look like!"

Now THIS was interesting. Gojyo sat up a little straighter and tried not to stare too hard at the two talking. So... Sanzo _was_ getting his rocks rolled. He'd been right all along about it, which meant he was probably right about Lirin being the one doing the rolling. Ew. He shivered and quickly gulped back some alcohol to chase away the nastiness that brought up. Not that Lirin wasn't gonna be good looking when she got older but... it was Lirin. And Sanzo. EW!

"She wasn't dressed like a priestess, though," the man continued. "I mean, what the hell kinda priestess wear leather anyway? And, duuuude... her boobs were like..." He made a sizeable indication with his hands, which made his friend let out a whoop.

"Damn, that musta been some nice viewing!"

Er... okay. Lirin did have rather large tits for a kid her age, he'd say that. But they were acting like she had the best set they'd ever seen. He knew who's rack really ruled supreme. He saw them everytime Kougaiji decided to try and be badass with his back-up dancers. These guys would piss themselves over Yaone's, he thought with a little smirk. That smirk turned into a full out smile as Nariko took her seat back.

Her smile slipped a little when she looked at the table and saw no check. "Where's the waitress at?"

Gojyo shrugged and ran his fingertips over her knuckles. "Who knows? You really that eager to get me on my back again?"

The smile returned full force, and was nothing but pure sexual intent. It made him shiver just to see it. "Or up against a wall. Or on top. Or whichever way gets you."

He smiled and tipped the rest of the whiskey into his mouth. Nice...

"And her legs... gods, those legs went on for MILES! All covered in thigh highs, and _chain garters_. Dude, you know she's a freak in the sack if she wears chain garters!"

Gojyo couldn't stop himself from sitting up and spitting the whiskey all across the table. Nariko gave a tiny surprised shriek, closing her eyes as the alcohol sprayed all over her face and front. "What the hell?" she demanded as Gojyo continued to coughing and choke for breath.

Holy shit, holy shit, HOLY SHIT! His eyes were stinging with tears as he kept on coughing and spluttering out apologies to his date, who was wiping herself off with a napkin and giving him a look that was a cross between being pissed off or being amused as hell. He couldn't help it, it just burst from him. Big breasts, thigh highs and chain garters... there was only one chick who had all those that he knew of. And that was the chick in the room with Sanzo.

Sanzo was fucking Yaone.

What the fuck was wrong with the world?

Sanzo... was fucking... Yaone.

FUCK!

"Sorry, babe. So sorry. Went down the wrong way," he coughed lamely, giving her the look-I'm-so-cute smile he saved for bad situations like this.

Nariko's lips twitched a little before she smiled back, settling her napkin on the table. "It's not that big a deal. What's a little whiskey and saliva on a white shirt, eh? Especially when the shirt's coming off in a few minutes."

Gojyo immediately threw on his sexy smile. This was the best day ever. This was better than when Hakkai had made Sanzo buy him smokes for his birthday. This was better than when he'd kicked Goku's ass at strip poker and refused to give his clothing back until he'd sung 'I Feel Pretty' four times in a row while in said nude state. Hell, this was even better than the time he'd had four girls get into a fight in the middle of the street right after it had finished raining. Mud wrestling at it's best, with him as the prize. No, this was so much better than anything else in his life.

This was something he could use against Genjyo Sanzo. And, boy, did he know how he was gonna use this info!

Dropping more than enough bills to cover the check as well as the tip, Gojyo stood up, taking Nariko's hand to help her to her feet. "Shall we, babe? I don't have much time left to play, you know."

Nariko slid her arm around his waist behind his back and stood on tiptoe enough to kiss him. "Let's not waist anymore of it, shall we?"

This was definately the very best day of his life.

---------

Yaone looked up from her bag when the door opened and Sanzo came back in. "That was quick," she commented as he dropped the paper on the table before dropping his robes down around his waist.

"Hakkai's sending anything up," he replied sarcastically. It had taken nearly three minutes of him pressing and her insisting that anything to eat was okay before he'd stormed off muttering about 'noncommital responses' pissing him off. She had been serious about anything. If it was fairly edible, then she was fine with it.

"Please thank him for me when you get a chance."

"Hmph. I hope he sends up the nastiest shit he can find."

Yaone smiled and finished tucking the buckles in place on her bag. She was still wearing his shirt, but her leather gear was stretched out on the bed, ready for her to put on after she showered. She went over to him, her cheeks burning a little as his eyes moved lower, not to watch her breasts but her legs. His fascination with her legs would be almost cute if it weren't for the heat in his gaze as he regarded her. That one look stripped anything cute about him away and made her feel a little warm inside. Yaone plucked the cigarette from his mouth to give him just a quick kiss, barely even a brush of lips, before returning the cigarette where it belonged. "I'm sure he wouldn't do that."

"Not unless I told him to," he said, taking the unlit cigarette from his mouth again. He didn't touch her or anything, but the invitation was obvious. He wanted her to kiss him again.

"If you expect to get sex again, you better not have," she threatened teasingly, her hands brushing along the silk and leather at his waist.

"I can deal without it."

"Really?"

"Really. It's not that big a deal."

Yaone's laugh was swallowed up under his lips. Just a few quick kisses... or seven... and a little tongue thrown in. She drew back, shaking her head a little when his hand began to push her shirt up. "I need to shower and room service is going to be here soon," she murmured, heart hammering against her chest. Her claws moved from his waist upward across his leather covered chest before circling his neck and toying with hair that was so much softer than silk. So many contrasting textures on one man. If she could, she would love to spend a few hours just simply touching him.

Unfortunately, that time wasn't likely to happen for a while. She had to leave relatively soon, as in most likely after their late breakfast. Missing the opening ceremonies for Gyokumen Koushu's party were forgiveable. Missing any other day would not be. As much as she loved him and loved being with him, she really didn't want to feel the whip on her back again. She smiled softly when he kissed her cheek and let her go, taking a seat at the table and opening the paper. "Hurry the hell up. I need to shower, too," he said, settling his glasses on his nose.

"You could always join me. I don't mind," she offered.

"Stop pretending to be generous and just admit you only want to see me naked."

"This from the man who stripped me down in less than fourty seconds last night?"

"You weren't moving fast enough," he muttered before repositioning the paper a little higher. It wasn't fast enough to cover the faint pink in his pale cheeks.

"Ah, I see," she laughed, heading for the bathroom. "I'll be out shortly. Try not to drink all the coffee when it comes."

"Then you better haul ass in that shower. I'm pretty fucking tired and coffee helps cure that."

She laughed again, purposely leaving the door to the bathroom half open. It wasn't only to keep the invitation to join her open, but to also keep it from fogging up too much. While she enjoyed the warmth of shower steam, she didn't like that she couldn't see the mirror at all. She unbuttoned his shirt, hanging it on the back of the door knob, and pulled down a few towels from the shelf. Just in case he did decide to step in with her. The pipes grumbled a little before a surprisingly strong stream beat against her hand. She adjusted the water to a comfortable temperature, just a little hotter than she liked it but not quite the scalding that he prefered, and stepped in, pulling the curtain closed on the narrow tub.

Yaone waited a few minutes to let the water seep into her skin and turn it a rosy shade before shampooing her hair. It took a lot of shampoo and a long time rinsing it out to get all of it cleaned. She seriously considered some days of taking a pair of scissors and hacking it all off, just for something different and to see what people would say. Sanzo would probably just shrug it off and say it was her hair, she could do whatever she wanted with it. Kougaiji, though, she knew wouldn't be at all happy with the change. Still, it might be worth it just to see his jaw drop in shock. Not that she was trying to impress him or anything, she added quickly, spluttering the water from her mouth and closing her eyes against the stream pouring over her.

She finished washing quickly after her hair was done, twisting the handles off and grabbing two towels from the vanity top. She was disappointed Sanzo hadn't joined her, seeing as she would be leaving fairly soon, but someone had to stay for room service. Which reminded her... if she expected him to save her any coffee, she'd better hurry and get out there. Yaone wrapped a towel around her hair and finished drying herself off before putting his shirt back on. She could smell the fresh coffee as well as the unmistable scent of bacon from the other room and walked back out to join him at the table, driven by her stomach churning.

Sanzo didn't so much as glance up from the paper as she took a seat at the only plate on the table and reached over to help herself to the coffee and a fresh biscuit. Yaone took the paper offered to her with a quick, "Thank you," before covering the biscuit in butter and honey. "Which section am I starting with?"

"Business. I'm not done with the editorial," he answered, flicking ash into the tray across from her.

Yaone neatly folded the paper in half for easier reading, taking a bite of the sticky biscuit as she read. Nothing much of interest, really. Business in general was lousy due to the Minus Wave effecting all the local areas. Farmers were closing up because of living in secluded areas prone to attacks, thought the paper sided more with youkai attacks on humans than the other way around. Both sides were suffering from the same problem. With the decrease in farmers, it would lead to a hike in produce costs, which would cascade further into higher tithing from the land owners. The practice at Houtu Castle was if you couldn't provide a proper tithe to the castle, you served in the army however many years it took for your lands to recouperate. The rank of soldiers was swelling while the number of field workers was decreasing. And still there were many who thought the revival project was such a grand idea...

"You're leaving soon, I take it?" Sanzo asked, taking a sip of coffee.

"Unfortunately, I have to," Yaone replied, flipping the page over to finish reading about the massive flooding near the monsoon regions. That was one of the reasons she'd always prefered to live further inland. "There's a celebration I can't really miss, and I've still got a lot of work to do. Lord Kougaiji needs this done sooner rather than later, and coming here has definately set me back a bit. This project... I swear it's going to be the death of me!"

"What's he got you working on now?" Sanzo sneered contemptuously.

Yaone lowered her paper at the tone, eyes narrowing as she caught the faintest hint of arrogant outrage starting to creep into his face. What on earth... "It's the same thing I've been working on for the past month," she answered slowly. "Just some new explosives I've been having trouble with. Lord Kougaiji has a very specific function he wants for them, and it's just a matter of finding the correct casing units and detonators for the job. Basically, a lot of experimenting and a lot of blowing things up until I get it right." She smiled, hoping to ease some of the mounting tension that had suddenly sprung between them.

"And what exactly will these new explosives do besides blow shit up?"

She shook her head, smile widening just a touch, before taking another bite of biscuit and chewing slowly. "Don't ask that, you know I can't say anything," she teased. "You'll see soon enough, after all."

Sanzo lowered the paper completely, but there was nothing there to hint that he'd been joking about the question. In fact... oh. He'd honestly meant for her to say something! Yaone set her food back on the plate and folded her hands on her lap, taking a couple deep breaths to remain calm. She didn't want another fight, she didn't want another fight... "So, for all you know, this new bomb might just possibly kill us and you won't give even a goddamn hint about what it does?" he asked coldly.

"Sanzo... I can't. If Lord Kougaiji ever found out..." Her voice trailed off as another thought inserted itself into that sentence. _If Sanzo ever found out you'd revealed their location, you'd be lucky if he spared the bullet to kill you._ She could betray her lover, but she couldn't betray her lord's orders? Her stomach knotted up as she met his gaze and saw that curtain of aloofness shielding his thoughts. That same curtain she'd worked so patiently to pull aside. He had to know. Why else would he start an arguement out of nowhere? If he knew, she wished to God he'd just come right out and say it. This dragging it out bit was going to make her sick any minute!

His lip curled into a snarl before he bit out sarcastically, "Yes, we don't want _him_ getting pissed off, do we?"

"What is the matter with you?" she exclaimed, heart hammering wildly in her chest. _Oh God, he knows! He knows, he knows, he knows..._ "Are you really angry that I won't tell you, or is it something else?

"Like what?" he asked. The tone was soft, barely even a whisper, but it carried something decidedly dangerous to it.

As much as she just wanted to let him brood behind the newspaper screen, she couldn't let this drop. It was such a complete mood change from when she'd gone into the bathroom and come back out. If he thought she'd turned over his location it would be best to get this fight out of the way now instead of letting it build into something bigger. Breathing deep again to collect herself, she spoke softly while trying to keep her queasy stomach in check. "I'm not a mind reader, Sanzo. Unless you tell me what's wrong, I can't even begin to guess. You were fine right up until a few minutes ago, and I don't really know what happened to upset you, but I wish to God you would just open up for a change and tell me."

His answer to that was another scathing look and the paper rising higher to block her from view.

Jaw clenching, Yaone tore the paper from his hands and settled it on the table with her palms firmly pressed over it. "You always do that," she continued, not bothering to keep the bitterness from her voice. "Don't cut me out just because you're mad about something. Weren't you the one who said we needed to resolve all our shit immediately instead of letting it fester?"

"Give the paper back."

"No, not until you tell me what the hell is going on! I'm tired of you hiding from me. I'm tired of you getting angry and not telling me why. What did I say?"

Violet eyes glittered with barely contained rage. She wasn't afraid of Sanzo's temper. Even that emotion he had careful control over, and he wouldn't lash out at her. She was certain of that. They still held their gazes, neither one backing down for the longest time. She couldn't read anything in his expression beyond the cool exterior, the taute jaw line and the piercing eyes that were completely revealed from behind the golden hair that usually shaded them. Yaone hoped she presented a somewhat calm demeanor against his ire. One of them had to be level headed while they were fighting, and she knew it wasn't going to be him.

_Disagreeing. Don't say fighting, it sounds so much worse than this._

Disagreeing, arguing, fighting... whatever it was called, it was still the same. Changing the wording didn't change the fact that they were once again just a few misplaced words away from shouting at each other. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for him to say something, anything, to break the tension but he didn't. Yaone was the first to break their dead-locked gazes, lowering her eyes to the table and letting out a long, slow breath. "I'm sorry. Whatever it is, I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't apoligize unless you've done something to warrant it and you know what you're apologizing for," he replied icily.

"Is it warranted?" she pressed gently, lifting her eyes just enough to peer at him from behind his hair.

Sanzo folded his arms across his chest and didn't answer her.

Yaone nodded to herself and bit her lower lip to keep the frustrated tears back. Why was it when everything was going fine something else had to come along and mess it up? What made it worse was the fact she wasn't entirely certain what had gone wrong to begin with. The only thing she could think of was that he knew she'd betrayed him, but he wouldn't have even bothered kissing her when he'd returned from downstairs if that were the case. So, it had to be something else... but what? Her eyes drifted over to the clock on the wall and read the time. Almost two o'clock in the afternoon. She had to get going if she expected to be ready for the banquet in time.

She stood up slowly from the table and went over to the bed, unbuttoning his shirt as she went and slipping it off her shoulders. She could feel him watching her as she folded the material and began tugging her leather gear up and into place. All the while she dressed, he simply sat and watched her without saying anything. And all the while he watched her, the tension grew thicker and thicker. She didn't want to leave like this, with them arguing, but she had no choice. He wasn't going to say and she had no time to spend in cracking him open. She had other things to worry about besides a pouting boyfriend.

She had just slung her bag over her shoulder and was reaching for the door when his voice stopped her and made her turn around slowly. "It's him that's wrong."

"What?" Who was he talking about? Yaone leaned against the door as he swiveled in his chair just enough to look at her, eyes still cold and empty of any emotion. Whatever he was feeling he didn't want her knowing about it.

"Kougaiji. Every fucking time I see you, his name comes up," he elaborated, his voice carrying the angry warmth that his face didn't. "And every fucking time you say his name, you get this look on your face."

"What look? I don't know what you're talking about, Sanzo."

"Like he's a god. Like he's everything you need to keep breathing. I hate that."

Yaone closed her eyes and let her head drop back against the wall. She counted slowly down from ten, decided it wasn't enough and repeated the process until she could speak without screaming at him. "You still think I'm sleeping with him." It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact. Sanzo was still jealous over nothing, and it was really beginning to irritate her.

"Can you blame me for thinking that when you light up like a goddamn candle whenever you talk about him?" Sanzo continued bitterly.

"Damn it, Sanzo, just... damn it! What the hell do you want me to say to convince you I don't love him?" she demanded angrily, pushing away from the door. She dropped her bag as she moved to stand before him, arms hanging limply by her sides. She stared into his eyes, his beautiful violet eyes, and willed him to see what she felt for him. She put into her eyes all the love and frustration, the joy and hurt that were fighting inside her and hoped he saw it. It was the only way she knew to communicate to him what words were failing to do. "Just tell me what I can say that will prove to you I'm not sleeping with Kougaiji. Tell me what I can do to prove I'm only interested in you. Please, Sanzo, just... Just say what you need from me."

He flinched ever so slightly at her words, shifting in his seat uncomfortably. Several minutes passed before he touched her hand lightly, almost as if testing her response to that small gesture. Yaone turned her palm over so that he was holding her hand fully, his palm pressed to hers with their fingers curling together. "Stay," he said quietly, so quietly she almost didn't hear him.

"Stay?"

"With me. Tonight. Fuck the project and fuck whatever else you have to do for one more night and just... stay."

Yaone closed her eyes and let out the trembling breath she'd been holding, angry at herself when she heard the edge of a sob to that breath. She couldn't. She had too much to do, too much at stake if she remained. Someone would notice she wasn't sick in her room and would start keeping tabs on her. She'd be followed and they'd eventually discover where she was going. She would lose everything she held dear to her heart if that happened. Sniffling back her tears, she managed to choke out, "I can't. I can't do that. I'm sorry."

"You already said you put yourself behind just by coming here last night. Is one more night going to matter?" Sanzo pressured, his fingers tightening against her hand.

It was going to matter a great deal, and not only because of the increased risk she ran of them being dicovered. She wouldn't tell him that Kougaiji was counting on her to finish this project relatively soon. That would only anger him more. "Someone's going to notice I'm not there. I'll be followed the next time I-,"

"-As if that's not been a risk this entire time. Stay."

The next breath she took freed the tears as she slowly pulled her hand away, hugging her arms around her waist. Yaone backed away from him, shaking her head from side to side. "I can't." She picked her bag up again and made quickly for the door, knowing that if she looked back she'd only see that cold arrogance staring at her. He would never say it out loud, but she knew he was hurt by her refusal. Her hand was on the door again when he spoke one last time, the words full of bitterness.

"We'll be at Bunretsu in three days. That is, _if_ you can spare the time to show up."

She nodded and slipped out the door quietly, snapping her bracelets in place to appear human. She promised herself she'd make damn sure to be there and stay for a few days just to make up for this. As she took the stairs down, she scanned from side to side by the entrance for any of his other companions (namely Gojyo since he was the only one who didn't seem to know about them) before hurrying quickly out the door. All this time she'd been fretting over what he would do if he knew she'd told. If this was how he reacted to something that never occurred, she could only imagine how furious he would be if he found out she'd told Kougaiji about Peeraj. There was no way she was going to tell him, not now! She'd just keep it to herself and deal with the guilt gnawing at her. It was the best course of action... right? God, she hoped so.

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AUTHOR'S ASIDE: Hoooooly shite! It's been ages since I've been able to update. I'm so very sorry! If this chapter sucks, it's because I really, really, really wanted to post something and didn't submit it to the Plot Bunny Killing Brigade. PBKB peeps, please don't hate me for this. Anyway, it's a very long chapter to make up for it, and hopefully a new one won't be super long in the making. Thanks again for being patient with me while I lost myself in Otakon and all that fun stuff!


	34. Chapter 34

Goku stared at the door hard. He pursed his lips, eyebrows forming a tight, resolute line over his eyes. His fist raised decisively and began to move toward the solid oak. It stopped a mere inch from the panel and dropped back to his side as he huffed a piece of hair out of his face, eyebrows relaxing into a worried expression over round golden eyes. He took a step as if to walk away from the door, only to take it back, the firm expression returning as he raised his fist once more. And, just like before, he started to bring it down only to stop and let it drop, repeating the same worried look from before.

He repeated this whole process maybe five times before muttering a soft, "Aw, crap!" and dropping himself to one side of the door with his knees up to his chest and his arms folded on top of them. He settled his head on his arms and began to glare at spider moving along it's web between two stair rails. He was only wearing his jeans and t-shirt, and if Hakkai caught him out in the hall without his shoes on, he was gonna be in trouble, but he didn't care. Sanzo was what he really cared about, not running around barefoot and possibly stepping on something sharp.

His eyebrows furrowed down again as he fidgeted against the wall, still fighting with himself over whether to knock or not. Sanzo had been really cranky for almost six days now. Ever since they'd left Bunretsu, he'd been real scowly and quicker with the fan than usual. He didn't like seeing Sanzo like this, and not only because his head really hurt. He was acting almost like he did when it rained, and there wasn't even a cloud in the sky or rain to smell for miles! Even Hakkai was being careful around him, which meant Sanzo had to be in a really, REALLY bad mood.

Goku let out a frustrated sigh, shifting a little as the hard floor started cramping his ass. He didn't like this at all. Even that bond he had with Sanzo felt weird. All he caught were little pieces of emotion, mostly a lot of anger, but there were one or two times that he caught what felt almost like guilt. It was sorta like how he'd felt himself after he'd killed Homura. Sanzo's wasn't nearly as strong as his own sense of guilt, and it was usually drowned out in the anger, but it was still odd to feel that from him. Almost as odd as the random scattering of pain that would pop in and out of all the other emotions. For as long as he'd known him, Goku had only once caught anything even close to being regret from his guardian. That was when that crazy Rikudo guy had been trying to kill them. Sanzo had regretted that for some reason. The pain though... that was a Rainy Day feeling, not a Sunny Day feeling. It wasn't normal for Sanzo to feel that at all without a reason.

"Aw... hell with it," he muttered, getting up on his feet again to stand in front of the door. He took a deep breath and let it out, squaring his shoulders back. He knew what was wrong with Sanzo. It had to be Yaone. That was the only thing that made sense, and it made him angry, too. Didn't he tell her not to hurt Sanzo? Hadn't he said she'd regret it if she did? Well, now Sanzo was hurting (sort of), and he knew it was all her fault! He didn't need any proof of it, he just knew she did. That wasn't a cool thing to do to someone you supposedly loved. Sanzo was his family, and he would never even think about hurting him. NEVER!

He brought his knuckles down on the wood firmly and waited for a reply he knew wouldn't come. "Sanzo?" he called, knocking again. Still no answer. Goku tried the knob and found the door was unlocked. "Sanzo, I'm comin' in, so don't shoot me, okay?" He pushed the door open on the darkened room, opening it just enough for him to slip in before shutting it quietly after himself.

Sanzo was in bed, back to the room with his face toward the window. He was lying perfectly still, but that didn't mean he was asleep. Sanzo always got really still when he was like this. It was like he was trying to shut himself down emotionally by shutting himself down physically. Slowly, he crept across the floor, wincing as boards creaked under his weight and prepared to duck bullets should Sanzo actually be asleep and wake up fighting mad. "Sanzo?"

There was a slight movement of shoulders and leather groaning which meant Sanzo had moved. Confident now that he wasn't really asleep, Goku sat down on the edge of the bed, chewing on his lower lip. Goku wanted to make Sanzo feel better, and Hakkai always said a good way of getting rid of problems was to talk about them. Sanzo wasn't gonna talk, but he could listen to what Goku had to say. Maybe that would help, too. He knew _what_ to say, just... how did he even start?

"Sanzo," he repeated again, licking his lips a little nervously. This was the very first time he'd ever tried talking about the weird thing his guardian had going with Yaone, so of course he was expecting the fan to beat the hell outta his head at any minute. When Sanzo didn't make any sign that was going to happen, he took another deep breath and began to speak quickly, trying to get as much as he wanted to say in before he got whacked into unconsciousness. "Look, I know you don't wanna talk about it. An' I know you don't want me talkin' about it with you, but Sanzo... I don't like seein' you like this. I mean, I get the rain thing. Really. You don't think I do, but I get it. This though... it's not cool. Gojyo always says why do somethin' if it doesn't make you happy. Well, why are you doin' this if she doesn't make you happy? Shouldn't someone who loves you make you happy?

"An' I don't like it. You and her, I mean. I don't really expect you to listen to me, but I'm just lettin' you know that I don't like it. Yaone's nice an' all, but everytime you guys meet up outside a room, she's gonna try and kill you. It makes keepin' you safe really hard, ya know! I can't hurt her in a fight cuz you'll get mad at me for hittin' your girlfriend, but I can't just sit back an' watch her blow you up. An' besides all that, now she's gone and hurt you. Sanzo, I don't get it! You told me I've gotta be sure about... you know... doin' it. Maybe you should be askin' yourself the same thing. Are you sure about Yaone? Even if you know she's tryin' to kill you an' take the sutra? An' even if she really hurt you? I dunno, maybe it's just me, but it doesn't really seem worth it, ya know? Sanzo? Hey, Sanzo, you can say somethin' now."

Goku scowled at the unresponsive monk's shoulder. He peered over slightly and saw the darker gold lashes were shut completely and his lips were parted slightly to breathe. Damn it, he just gave the speech of his life, and Sanzo had been asleep the entire time! CRAP! How was he supposed to remember all that later, when Sanzo was awake and could listen? He sighed, shoulders slumping and a little smile forming on his lips. Maybe it was better like this anyway. Sanzo could take care of himself pretty well. He didn't need someone telling him what to do. Especially someone with no girl experience at all! He stood up, hesitating by the bed for a few seconds before reaching out tentatively to pet the golden hair back from the older man's face. He knew touching Sanzo while he was sleeping was really dangerous to do, but seeing as he didn't wake up at all from him talking... he figured the risk was okay. Goku moved away, this time taking greater care to move silently back across the floor and to the door.

"Goku."

He froze, back stiff and eyes already screwed up tightly in anticipation of the beating to come. He'd woken Sanzo up. Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap... Suddenly, the risk of touching a sleeping Sanzo wasn't okay any more. "S-Sanzo?" he asked, cracking one eye open enough to see Sanzo hadn't moved from the bed. The other eye opened, but his body remained tense and ready to run, just in case. Sanzo was freakishly fast with that stupid fan, and even quicker with the gun.

"Two things. First, next time you make goddamn sure someone's asleep before you sneak up on them. Second, I don't care if you want to hate her, but you sure as hell won't use me as an excuse for that."

"I don't hate her," he mumbled, scuffing his bare toe across the smooth wooden floor. He was being honest. He didn't hate Yaone, not at all. She was a nice bad guy, really. He just didn't like her seeing Sanzo. That was totally different from hating her.

"Bullshit, you've been acting like a jealous boyfriend for some time now."

Goku bristled at that, whirling around sharply with his jaw slightly dropped. What the... where did that... He shook his head, mouth snapping closed irritably. "I have not!" he insisted, his voice rising just a bit. He flinched when he remembered who he was yelling at and continued on with a much softer tone. "I just don't like her makin' you upset, that's all."

"I'm not upset," Sanzo half growled, shifting around on the bed with his back still to Goku.

"But you're not happy either."

"Stop assuming things."

His eyes dropped to the floor, watching his toes wiggle and dig at the wooden planks that were worn smoother in some spots than in others from lots of other feet probably doing the very same thing. Maybe those feet belonged to another person trying to cheer a friend up and having a hard time doing it. Goku huffed out a heavy sigh, the first fingers and thumbs of each hand rubbing together as he struggled to put to words what he wanted to say. Sanzo was forever telling him to think before saying or doing something, and now he was beginning to see why. He wanted Sanzo to talk, but how did he do that when the other man didn't _wanna_ talk? If he said something wrong, at the least he'd get smacked and at the most it would only make Sanzo even more angry. Both weren't good at all for him.

"Sanzo," he said quietly, taking just the barest half-step back toward the bed and the monk putting off I'll-kill-you vibes. "I don't... maybe it's not... I mean, what...?"

"Just get it out so I can go to sleep!" the blonde finally snapped.

Goku's head dropped to his chest, his cheeks burning red from being yelled at. "I just wanna know what's wrong," he mumbled. "Maybe if you talk it out, you'll come up with a way of fixin' it."

The bed creaking and the familiar click of a lighter made him peek up at his guardian, now sitting up on the bed with his robes tucked around his waist. Grey smoke curled up through the darkness of the room and soon enough the burning, nasty smell of cigarettes hit Goku's nose, making it wrinkle in protest. Even though he hated that smell, it never failed to make him feel safe inside. Cigarettes were the smell of freedom for him. They reminded him of Sanzo and that day in the cave when he'd seen the sun reflect brilliantly off of golden hair.

Sanzo continued to smoke for a minute or so, the occassional movement of his arm and the light tap of ash being knocked into a tray the only thing other than smoke coming from his dark figure. The window was to his back, throwing paleness into the room and making his shadow on the floor stretch out before him like a giant. As always, his hair caught the light, this time looking near silvery in the moon's glow. And his skin was white now, no tinting of fleshy color to show he was alive. All cold and still, like the night itself. Goku fidgeted, glancing away from the near-ghostly appearance. He hated what the moonlight did to Sanzo.

"What do you want, Goku?"

The question was unexpected and made him blink, looking up fully at Sanzo's seemingly relaxed pose. It was all fake, he knew. Sanzo was never relaxed. He couldn't ever be relax, not fully anyway. That's what happened when you got used to random people trying to kill you. He shifted from one foot to the other, biting his lower lip thoughtfully. What did he want? That wasn't what he thought Sanzo would say. Something about it not being any of his goddamn business, or to shut the hell up and go away would have been expected. But what did he want? How was he even supposed to answer that?

He shrugged, fingers mussing his hair up as his eyes squinted closed thoughtfully. "I dunno. I guess I just want you to be happy."

Sanzo crushed the cigarette out and let the last bit of smoke free from his lungs slowly. "And if I tell you I'm fine, will you go away?"

"No, cuz then you'd be lyin'. An' _fine_ isn't the same thing as _happy_. Hakkai's fine. He's not happy though, even if he smiles all th' time. It's a big difference."

There was something like a snort from Sanzo, and it was impossible without better light to tell if it was because he was amused or because he thought Goku had said something stupid. "Then how about this for honesty; I'm not happy, but I'm fine. And I don't want to talk about this because it's not something words can fix. Now, will you get the hell out of here?"

Goku wanted to argue with him. He wanted to push the issue further and see if maybe he COULD get Sanzo to tell him what was wrong. But, if he pushed too hard, then he wouldn't be able to ask what he really wanted to, and that wouldn't make _him_ happy. He offered a sheepish smile and could see the shift of shadows on Sanzo's face that told him those violet eyes were narrowed suspiciously. "Actually... I was wonderin' if I could sleep here tonight?" he ventured with round, hopeful eyes he knew worked most of the time. Or, at least they worked in getting Sanzo to buy him a meatbun or four. It made sense to think they'd work for this, too.

"Hakkai's sleeping here. It was decided when we got the rooms."

"Yeah, but he's playin' cards with Gojyo, an' you know they won't be gettin' back 'til late. That means you're gonna be woken up when he comes in. An', besides all that, Hakkai's gonna bug you worse than I did about what's wrong. You don't want that, do you?"

A softly muttered 'fuck' and the slight drop to the moon high-lighted shoulders told him he'd won. Goku grinned and fought back the excited whoop he was dying to let out. Grumbling and cussing as he punched his pillow irritably before settling with his back to the room, Sanzo snarled, "Find Hakkai, tell him you're switching out, then get your ass in bed and don't move a muscle, got it? Otherwise, I'll break your fucking jaw so you won't be able to eat."

Goku shuddered at the horrible threat, hugging himself. He hoped Sanzo wouldn't ever act on that threat. Not being able to eat... that was the worst thing ever! He nodded, realized Sanzo couldn't see it, and managed to squeak out a hasty, "Okay," before heading quickly for the door. Sure, he didn't find out what Sanzo'd done wrong, he thought as he took the stairs down to the bar, but at least he got to share a room with him for a change. That was something at any rate. He was so happy about that little victory that he didn't remember he was still barefoot until Hakkai caught sight of him and reprimanded him from the doorway of the bar for running around without shoes on in a public place. Aw, damn it!

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Kougaiji took the stairs down at a quick pace, hair streaming behind him along with the edge of the white robe. He wasn't mad, he wasn't mad... okay, maybe he was just a little. But he was allowed that, damn it! He couldn't really help the jealousy gnawing at him, even if he technically didn't have any grounds for it. After all, he'd failed to tell Yaone how he felt during the celebration. She'd done her part. She'd stayed with him, smiled through the menacing glares cast her way by his would-be admirers and suffered through a surprising amount of wine 'accidentally' spilling on her clothing. This was from girls who, conveniently enough, couldn't seem to walk straight but could dance just fine. Catty females... as if they needed yet another one of those at Houtu Castle!

He let out a harsh, irritated sigh, not bothering to look at the servants who quickly stepped aside as he made it to the experimental sections of the palace. She'd disappeared yet again. Two days now. Dokugakuji hadn't even noticed she was missing until he mentioned it. The very first thing the swordsman did was suggest that perhaps she was sick. Sick... yeah, right! Of _course_ she was sick! The gods forbid he keep her from her lover for more than a week. Even with the jealousy and the bitterness that came with thinking about her in that man's arms, he still couldn't bring himself to hate Hakkai. Damn the man for being so... so...

Perfect for her.

It nearly killed him to admit that. Cho Hakkai, despite being a mass murderer, truly was a good match for his apothecare. The man was undeniably intelligent, pleasant, polite... good looking, too, he supposed. And he fought honorably in battle. That was something to respect, grudgingly, of course. After all, the bastard had gone and stolen _his_ love interest. There was only so much credit he was willing to give for that unrealized slight.

Naturally, Dokugakuji had tried to distract him without physically stopping him from going to Yaone's room. The swordsman had even resorted to saying that maybe she was sick due to menstrual situations. The blush that threatened to over take the taller man's tan cheeks told him clearly this was a most unlikely maybe. He'd glared, and Dokugakuji had dutifully shut his mouth and stepped aside. It hadn't surprised him in the least to find her room empty and appearing to not have been habitated for a few days. His next orders had been clipped with barely controled anger; check the dragon pens and see if one is mysteriously missing. Dokugakuji hadn't done more than mumbled a, "Yes, my lord," and left.

That meant he got to search her lab. He knew she'd been slaving away over a new explosives design for him that she'd presented months ago. The idea had been solid, but the project became something more complicated when she couldn't seem to find a certain metal grade she needed for some of the parts. It seemed the youkai metal master who made it had been killed by an angry mob of humans at about the same time she started the project. He didn't think Yaone had ever met the metal master in person, but she'd mourned his death as if he were her dearest friend. The woman was strange about her bombs.

Kougaiji walked down the hall briskly, the torches on this level wavering as he breezed by. Yaone had her laboratory set up toward the back end of the southern wing, right where Houtu Castle cut into the hillside with the river curving around it a good thirty feet away. It used to be servant barracks with wide, narrow windows that were too small for a body to wiggle out but long enough to allow proper ventilation. It was also situated in an uninhabited corner of the castle, so in case something went wrong there would be no casualties other than herself. He knew she loved working with the dangerous chemicals, but there was a damned good reason he assigned her more and more to watch over Lirin.

He hesitated outside the closed wooden door, frowning when he saw the painted red slab of wood hanging from the nail in the door. 'Do Not Enter'. After being surprised a few times by people just walking in while she was working, Yaone had insisted on getting the sign for when she was working with more potent mixtures. This also meant that the door was probably locked to ensure privacy. Kougaiji looked around, stepped away for a second, then returned and tried the knob anyway, surprised when it turned easily in his hand. He was certain she wasn't there. She probably just put the sign up to ward unwanted eyes away from her work. He stepped in carefully, all the same, just in case she'd gotten lost in her work once again.

The room was dark except for the light that filtered through the closed windows, catching on faint dust moats that moved in an unfelt air current. Rows of countertops designed for chemical use and spillage lined the walls all around the decent sized room, with cabinets above them that had glass panes and were neatly organized with small jars, glass beakers and other such equipment. This was where the majority of her supplies were kept, with only a few of the less dangerous and more commonly used ones kept in the mini laboratory in her room. Three long tables with more cabinets underneath and stainless steel sinks directly in the middle were spread across the room. Two were used for mixing while the other one was overflowing with books, notes, and odd pieces that didn't resemble anything that he could name. It was this table that had his attention and made a soft smile come to his lips.

Or, to be more precise, it was the arm covered in white material peaking around a few open books that drew his gaze and made him walk over quietly.

Yaone had fallen asleep in the lab, her upper body slouched over the mass of draft sketches and equations spread out underneath her. The one arm he'd seen was still clutching a pen loosely, even though she had three more tucked back in her pony-tail. Her bangs were disheveled with smaller strands breaking free from the braids by her face and at her neck. Her usually impeccable clothing was wrinkled, the heavy apron she wore when mixing ingredients carrying fresh stains on its front. There was also a charming combination of ink and gunpowder smudged across her cheek and jawline. She was a complete disaster... and he loved it.

Kougaiji stared down at her and felt his stomach turn to pooling warmth. Gods, he loved her. It had taken him years to realize that little fact, but now that he did he couldn't seem to get it out of his system. He wanted her. He wanted all of her, and it wasn't fair that some human-turned-demon got to have her. _He'd_ found her first, damn it! Cho Hakkai had absolutely no right to her.

Technically, though, neither did he. As royalty, he was expected to marry someone with noble bloodlines. He was allowed to fool around with the help, but marry them? That was out of the question, and one of the reasons he'd never spoken sooner about how she made him feel. Even if he did say what he wanted, and Yaone responded favorably to those words, she could never be more than a well-loved mistress to him. And _that_ was more unacceptable than her being with another man. At least with Hakkai, she had a chance to be someone's legal wife, not their bed partner. It was more than he could offer.

He grit his teeth hard, eyes narrowing so that his lashes just barely blurred his vision. Then again, he _was_ a prince. He was allowed to conduct his affairs as he saw fit. Hadn't he'd told Lirin that the other night? So, even if he did start sharing a bed with his servant, someone he trusted his life with, no one could could argue it. No one would risk having treasonous charges brought against them by the royal family just to be petty and rude.

Of course, none of the insults or slurs would be spoken in front of him to begin with. They'd be directed at Yaone, behind his back where he couldn't do much about it. It would be her word against theirs over an incident, and no one would listen to a former servant over a noble who could trace their family back almost six generations. He didn't like saying it, but it was the truth of the matter. And if the party where everyone seemed against her even being near him were any indication, the court and nobles would make her life hell in any way that they could. How could he even think this would be good for her?

Kougaiji held back the bitter sigh that wanted to come out, hands clenching tightly. This was so frustrating! He could get away with leading armies, personally planning attacks on the Sanzo party, and generally risking his royal neck on a daily basis for a cause he was essentially blackmailed into believing in, but the gods forbid he fall in love with a subordinate! All he wanted out of life right now were two things; to free his mother and have Yaone to himself. Unfortunately, both of these goals were being hampered by the same foursome he was currently planning a new assault on. Irony at it's best, so it seemed.

His gaze returned to the still sleeping woman sprawled across the counter surface, which instantly calmed his frustrations and dragged out an amused smirk. She was going to be so embarassed when she woke up like this. He could almost see the blush staining the smudged cheek turned toward him now... Kougaiji reached out before he could stop himself, fingers pushing back a few stray pieces from the braid hanging down her shoulder before rubbing his thumb through the blackened powder on her skin, removing a good portion of it in one gentle swipe that he wasn't embarassed to admit lingered a little longer than was necessary. Then again, Yaone was perfectly capable of handling herself, most of the time, he thought. Perhaps there was a chance for them after all...

Yaone's eyes flew open as she sucked in a sharp breath, jerking upward so fast her head nearly collided with his chin. Kougaiji leaned back quickly to avoid the impact, a hand going to her back to steady her when the sharp movements threatened to spill her over the back of the stool. "Relax, Yaone! It's only me," he said, an edge of a chuckle to his voice at her bewilderment.

"O-oh... My lord, I'm so sorry! I... did I miss a meeting?" she asked in a flurry, her eyes wide and worried as she shuffled through the notes on her desk. "I have a status report around here... somewhere..."

"Yaone, it's okay, really. You didn't miss anything. I didn't know... that is, Dokugakuji and I haven't seen you for two days. We were wondering where you'd hidden yourself." Kougaiji kept his hand to her back, fingers rubbing gently in what he hoped was a calming manner. She was either too flustered to notice the uncharacteristically familiar gesture, or she didn't care. The first was definately more preferable to the second.

Yaone stopped tapping the papers into an organized stack, turning those round eyes to him, now filled with confusion. "Two days?" The way she asked it along with the furrowed brow made his smile widen just a bit more. Dear gods, was she ever a mess! He nodded in response, leaning against the counter top as she scowled darkly and dug through the mess until she found a calendar. Her claws tapped against the different dated boxes as she mumbled the day names under her breath. Slowly, it began to sink in and her jaw lowered as she leaned back a little more into his arm. "Oh, dear... I really _have_ been down here for two days! I'm sorry, my lord, I had no idea."

"Obviously," he teased, enjoying the blush that quickly flamed up her neck to her cheeks. His heart was near ready to explode in his chest as he took another small risk by moving the hand on her back to just under her chin, tilting her head to see the other side was also smudged slightly. "And it looks like you dove head first into a keg of gunpowder, too."

The red grew even darker as she snatched a fairly clean rag from the table to wipe her cheeks with. Her hands smoothed over the apron on her lap to try and relieve the wrinkles in it as she cleared her throat and avoided his gaze. A sharp, rather painful sounding gurgle came from her stomach, bringing a frown to his face as her hand pressed over the noisy area before she gave him a guilty glance. "You've obviously not eaten anything either. Yaone..."

"Again, I apologize, my lord. I had a breakthrough last night... or was it the night before... But I couldn't very well leave it be!" The stubborness in her voice told him any chastizing on his part would fall on deaf ears. One would think after years of this very same argument, he'd learn not to fight it any longer. He didn't like her working as she did, but she wasn't about to change what functioned for her simply because of that. All he could do was allow her to work as she wished and try to make sure she kept herself healthy from the side lines.

Kougaiji nodded, swallowing as he tried to pull his gaze back up to her eyes when she stretched her arms over her head. Gods... he really needed to encourage her to wear more than that leather boustier for armor! He knew she wore it for the intent and purpose that they fought mostly men, and men tended to do exactly as he just did and stare at the display offered, but still... It took him two tries before he finally cleared his throat and managed to say in a convincingly neutral tone, "You fixed the problem then?"

Yaone beamed at him like a proud mother showing off her new baby. "I think I did. I just need to build a new prototype and test it before I know for certain. Another three days of working like this, and it should be ready for real situation testing."

Real situation testing. Meaning, see how it worked in a real fight. He couldn't understand how she could so calmly talk about using these explosives in a fight that would most likely be against her lover. Granted, Hakkai had some protection from the blasts in the form of a powerful chi shield, but still didn't change the fact that she could cheerfully talk about blowing him up. How did their relationship survive all this? Was she able to accept possibly killing him because she knew he would do the same?

"My lord? Is something wrong?" The stool scraping back as she rose drew him out of the questions repeating themselves for the hundredth time in his head and made him aware of the fact that he was scowling at her. Shit, he hadn't meant for that to happen! He was perplexed by the questions, not angry at her. She looked nervous, standing before him... standing... so close. Close enough that he could pick out the tiny copper flecks in her eyes. Close enough for him to smell the lingering traces of the jasmine perfume he purchased for her. Gods, why did she have to pick _now_ to lick her lips nervously? The little gesture, in no way intended to be sexual on her part, did things to him that were unexpected and frustrating.

"Lord Kougaiji?" she asked again, voice soft and questioning. "My lord, please say something."

When did it become so hard to speak? His words and voice were choked in his throat, and it all started when he'd realized how close she was to him. It wouldn't take much effort to simply reach out and pull her flush against him. Yaone tucked a few stray pieces of hair behind the elegant taper of her ear, biting her lower lip in growing anxiety over his continued silence. Her back stiffened in surprise when he shifted ever so slightly and caused their hands to brush. The blush returned with a vengeance when his hand touched hers again, this time deliberately, has claws tracing lightly over the material covering her wrist. She moved as if to pull away from him, clearing her throat.

"L-Lord Kougaiji," she stammered, eyes lowered so he couldn't see what she was thinking. "I... I don't think..."

He knew what she was going to say and didn't want to hear it. This wasn't right. This wasn't allowed. It wasn't a good idea. These were the same things he kept telling himself over and over again. They were the same phrases that buzzed through his head even as his hand closed around hers. She didn't return the pressure, but he hadn't really expected her to. It was obvious to anyone that she was completely caught off-guard by this. The sharp inhale of breath and the sudden tension in her body was noted, and made him pause briefly before his confidence returned and he gripped her hand more surely. Maybe the stiff posture wasn't a sign of rejection. Maybe it meant she felt something for him after all and was still amazed he was doing this...

"Yaone..." He had no idea what he was going to say, his words cutting short when she slowly looked him in the eye. Kougaiji swallowed heavily when he saw the understanding fighting to surface through the confusion. She knew. Deep down, she knew exactly what he was trying to convey. It was evident in the slightly widened eyes, the shakey breath that came from parted, trembling lips. She had to know now how he felt. Wasn't it obvious in his current actions? It made his heart speed so fast that he could hardly tell where one pulsing beat stopped and another began. This was it, he had to do something now. He'd been waiting for the opportune moment, and it couldn't get any better than this. They were alone. She was starting to piece it all together. It wasn't going to get more fortunate than this.

Her name left his mouth once more, so softly even he was almost unaware of it. Yaone blinked a little when he moved just a fraction closer, the hand around hers moving to hold her upper arm loosely. She leaned away from him ever so slightly to keep a mere inch between their bodies, again making him pause. Her breathing was as jagged as his own, one of her hands coming to his chest to press against him firmly. Whether it was to push him away or encourage him further, he wasn't sure. All he knew for certain was that her fingers were delightfully cool against his skin, the tips calloused lightly from manual labor. He could feel the fine tremors running through her as he leaned in, eyes half closing as he angled his head a bit. He couldn't believe he was doing this. After wanting her for so long, he was finally going to kiss her. She looked ready to speak, most likely words of protest to this act. He didn't want to hear them, and was just about there to silence them with his own mouth. Gods, he couldn't believe he was finally doing this! The heat pouring off her crimson cheeks was warm, as was the faint, shaking breaths that met the skin of his lips. So close now...

The door swinging open and slamming into the opposite wall made them both jump away from each other with matching red faces. Hers he knew was out of pure embarassment at almost getting caught. His was a combination of that and anger at the person who dared to interupt him. He'd been _that close_ to finally letting it all out. To be that close and have the moment ripped away from him was almost as painful as not saying anything at all and watching her disappear at random intervals to be with someone else. If there wasn't a damned good excuse for this, there would be hell to pay!

The bastard in question was a very frantic Dokugakuji, breathing hard and looking for all the world like he'd just run a marathon. Sweat beaded his brow and his dark eyes were nearly black with worry. "Kou, Lirin's run off again! Her guards are trussed up like presents and... what? Why the hell are you glaring at me like that?"

"Never mind," Kougaiji bit out sharply, stalking by the bewildered swordsman for the door. Goddamn it! To be so close and have it all snatched away by the person who'd goaded him into action to begin with. It just figured Lirin would pick this _exact_ moment to run off. The only thing that saved it from being completely frustrating was that Yaone had given him signs that she perhaps returned his feelings. Impressions of what would have happened had they not been interupted still danced through his head as he asked tightly, "Any clue which direction she went?"

"Most likely the same direction she goes every time; east," Dokugakuji answered, eyebrows drawing down over narrowed, suspicious eyes that looked from one to the other. "I didn't interupt anything, did I?"

Oh, how he wanted to scream _'yes, you damn well did'_. Kougaiji grit his teeth and opted to ignore this question, heading straight for the door. "Let's get going. I don't want to spend all day tracking her down. We'll head east together, then split up to do wide arial surveillance. Yaone, bring a few of those flash bombs of yours. If we spot either her or her dragon, set one off to alert the others." There was a flurry of movement behind him as the other two rushed to gather what was needed and catch up with him. Just two seconds more was all he would have needed. Two measley little seconds! It seemed fate decided to make him its whipping boy once again. He was almost hoping they'd run into the Sanzo party this time, just so he could have an excuse to let out this boiling frustration. Preferably on a certain green-eyed obstacle to his affections.

----------

She didn't come.

Sanzo glared at the road speeding by and was annoyed with the hair that refused to stay out of his face as it was blown about wildly, annoyed by that same wind that kept him from lighting a fucking cigarette. He was annoyed that the two in back weren't bickering so he had a reasonable excuse to crack the fan over their heads. Annoyed that Hakkai had to drive so goddamn fast, even if he was the one who told the bastard to speed up.

Fuck it, he was just annoyed. Mostly with her and the fact she hadn't bothered to meet him at Bunretsu, but the world in general was annoying the piss out of him as well.

Yes, he'd been... less than pleasant during their last encounter. And, yes, he'd pretty much point blank accused her of sleeping with her employer (he couldn't bring himself to even _think_ the name without the need to cause pain) which was followed closely by that stupid request to stay one more night. Fucking moron that he was. He didn't blame her in the least for walking out, not after the argument they had. Hell, he would have walked out under the same conditions. He'd basically given her an ultimatum, and she'd given him the finger.

It wasn't all that unreasonable a request, though. She'd already admitted that she was behind just by coming to see him. Would one more night really have made all the difference to whatever she was fooling around with now? It would have been a simple thing to do, and he certainly felt he deserved it. After all, she sacrificed a lot of what they had for _him_. She didn't take care of herself because of things _he_ asked her to do, she was spending less time than before with him because of 'special projects'. All he'd asked for was one more night. He didn't ask for sex or any of that bullshit. Just one fucking night. Was it really too much to ask that she sacrifice something for their relationship?

Sanzo ground his teeth together hard, cursing silently and using every combination he could think of in the process. Fine, she was mad at him. So what? It wasn't like the accusations were totally without merit. He had every reason to suspect something was going on between her and _him_. How would he ever know? They were fucking five million miles away and had a whole goddamn palace they could screw around in. Not to mention the fact that she seemed to live for _his_ orders and would literally do anything _he_ asked... He dared someone to tell him he was being foolish. Seriously, he did. Then, he could shoot the idiot in the head and relieve the built up tension inside him.

Why didn't she meet him? Goddamn it, what the hell was so important she couldn't meet him for one damn evening? That 'special project' she was working on? Funny, he wasn't aware giving your boss head was considered a 'special project'. He'd always thought it was a simple blow job. Showed how much he knew. She was mad at him, whatever. She'd been mad at him before and she'd gotten over it just fine that time. Why would this time be any different? He didn't understand the nagging little voice saying he'd been a complete asshole and that this time was most definately a lot different. He also didn't like the guilt that sat so heavily on his stomach. It made him sick enough that he could barely eat. Why he felt that way, he didn't know. It wasn't like he owed her an apology or anything.

Then again... he'd overheard Gojyo saying once that if a woman was mad, the best thing to do was apologize, no matter if it was your fault or not. He knew she was mad because of what he'd implied, he just wasn't capable of apologizing. Especially when he didn't feel it was needed. His scowl deepened as the two sides continued to argue back and forth over the issue of an apology. Gods, he'd been such a fool to think this was something he wanted. He knew there would be complications due to the fact they were enemies, but he'd never forseen the ones they would create themselves. Shit, it was never supposed to be like this to begin with. Just a few conversations over drinks, nothing more. How did it go from conversation to her being his girlfriend? Fucking hell, this was so much more complicated than he'd thought it would be!

Part of him was so tired of this relationship bullshit he almost wished she'd never show up again. It would make things a lot easier all around if she didn't. But the other part of him, the stubborn half, refused to even consider that as an option. He didn't want it to be over. As exhausting and confusing as it was, he still wanted it. He still wanted all the little annoyances, all the confortable moments, all the looks she gave him that he knew were only for him... goddamn it, he just wanted _her_! And no cock sucking, blue-blooded bitch of a prince was going to take her from him, not if he had anything to say about it.

Goddamn it, what the hell was wrong with him? It wasn't like they'd discussed being exclusive to each other or anything. If she wanted to fuck some pretty-boy with nasty, long hair, then that was her choice. He didn't understand why images of her moaning and writhing for another man made him see red, but it did. He didn't like the idea that someone else might know about that spot right at the joining of her ear lobe and neck. Or the fact that she enjoyed light nips of teeth along the insides of her thighs. Or how she'd bite her lower lip shortly before hitting climax. And it certainly didn't bring a smile to his face to think that someone else might actually work a sudoku puzzle with her, or let her cook for them. Or watch her fall asleep while they talked in bed. Those were HIS discoveries, damn it. HIS!

Sanzo closed his eyes and tightened his arms against his chest. Of course, there was always the chance that he was wrong and Yaone wasn't seeing anyone else. After all, why bother leaving the house for a quick screw when it was back home to begin with? And every time she was with him, there was always something in her face that was a little different than the way she looked at _him._ He didn't know how to describe it other than being soft and smug at the same time. Whenever she looked at him like that, he suddenly found it much easier to tolerate all the little annoying things she did.

Like giving him stupid nicknames. Gods, waking up that last time with her had been hell! She'd done her usual job of hogging all but the sheet he'd managed to twist around himself before she decided his stomach made a much better pillow than the one under her arm. And she'd worn her hair loose again, so that was another obstacle to contend with as it wound around his fingers and arms, and worked its way into his mouth. He'd tried to move carefully so he didn't wake her, reaching for the cigarettes on the bed side table, but that plan got trashed when she protested sleepily, rubbing her cheek against his stomach almost cat-like. The cigarettes were forgotten when on of her hands rubbed along his thigh languidly, her lips touching his abs in several little kisses before she resettled her head there, now facing him. She'd smiled at him, eyes still mostly lidded, when he brushed his thumb along her lower lip, fingers getting caught in the tangles of hair by her face. Everything had been fine until she'd opened her damn mouth and said... "_Morning, goldfish_."

That obviously deserved the pillow he slung at her, which then led to them full out wrestling across the bed. She'd been laughing the entire time, and he'd used that advantage to finally pin her on her stomach across the bed, his hands closing over her wrists to hold them over her head as he straddled her ass. She'd continued to struggle a bit, her ass thrusting back into his groin to try and throw him off. It did something a little different instead, which she noticed immediately before changing tactics to circle up against him teasingly. Her tauntingly asking what was wrong was the final nail in the coffin, so to speak. She wanted to fool around? Fine, but it was going to be on his terms. And, seeing as he already had her pinned down on the bed... Sanzo quickly blocked those images from surfacing. They were riding in the Jeep and he was sitting down in tight jeans. Any more thoughts in THAT direction would only be painful. It also made the jealousy stab sharper into his gut as everything that followed after came back as well. Damn it, if only some idiot youkai assassins would attack, if only he had some kind of, preferably violent, distraction from that fight...

He got his wish when a bored groan came from the back, followed by Goku's whine of, "I'm bored."

"Me, too," Gojyo concurred, for once agreeing with the boy. Sanzo glanced back in the rearview mirror, silently rooting for them to start bickering. His palms were itching to lay the fan across their thick skulls.

"Well, we could always play I Spy," Hakkai suggested amiably. Sanzo rolled his eyes. GODS, no! Not that stupid game again. Goku never followed the rules for it anyway, always changing his answers when something new crossed his vision.

"Naw, don't really wanna. We played that this mornin'," Goku grumbled, puffing his cheeks out repeatedly.

"Besides, that game fucking sucks," Gojyo added, draping his head over the side of the Jeep. His crimson hair blew back in the air wakes. If he cared that dirt was getting kicked up into his ridiculously long locks, it didn't show. Nasty, dirty bastard...

"How about Twenty Questions?" the driver offered. "You like that game, Goku."

"I know," he groaned, staring unblinking up at the sky. "But we did that one, too! An' I don't wanna play the Alphabet game. An' I don't wanna play Guess That Mess either. I wanna DO somethin'!"

"Maybe you could try seeing how long you can keep your mouth shut," Sanzo suggested blandly, hoping the kid would rise for the bait.

Instead, the brat thought he'd been serious. "That doesn't sound fun at all, Sanzo." An overly loud, dramatic huff of a sigh came before he added, "Man, I'm bored!"

As if they all didn't get the point already. Sanzo's hand began to twitch toward the fan in anticipation of a fight. The kappa had to make some kind of comment about a repetitive monkey. It was set up perfectly for him...

"How long have we been driving anyway?" Gojyo drawled, holding his cigarette slightly off to one side as he watched the end burn away uselessly. Fucking moron! He'd just blown the perfect opportunity to harass Goku. Unbelievable.

"About thirteen hours, seventeen minutes and forty-two-point-three seconds. Not that I've been keeping track, mind you," Hakkai answered with the most irritatingly cheerful look on his face. How the hell was he able to smile like that when they'd been driving for that long? The man's ass just had to be numb by now! It just wouldn't be natural if it wasn't.

"Aw... fuck me, are you serious? Gods, is that depressing! Not even the damn scenery's changed much. Are you sure we aren't lost?"

"Mm... fairly sure. There _is_ always the slight chance that we might be just a teensy bit lost."

Goku let out a wailing moan of potest before propping his head on his arms and scowling at Hakkai's back. "Great, so we could be lost AND bored? An' I'm gettin' hungry, too! Sanzo, can't we stop for a bit?"

"No." Nearly fourteen hours straight of driving was brutal on his ass, but there was no way they were stopping now. The next town wasn't more than another six hours drive, and there were rain clouds moving down from the north. With the mood he was in, it wouldn't be healthy for anyone if they got stuck camping in the rain.

"But if we stop, we can eat an' stretch an' maybe we'll get lucky an' some of Gyumaoh's assassins'll come to kill us."

"I said no. Don't make me repeat myself again, monkey." There, that should provoke the little creep. He never failed to holler over being called a monkey.

"Maybe you two could play Truth or Dare?" Hakki cut in just as Goku's mouth opened and his eyes darkened angrily. Damn it, why did he constantly have to placate them? Yes, Sanzo knew he'd complain later about too much noise in back, but he really needed to hit something and they weren't being agreeable, any of them. Goddamn youkai.

"Don't be gay, Hakkai," Gojyo sneered, sitting up to watch the cigarette butt get ripped from his fingers by the wind. "There's no way I'm playin' that chick game."

"It was only a suggestion to relieve the tedium of our current situation."

"Well, it sucked."

Goku shifted around in the silence that followed the brief exchange. Stretching his legs out in back as much as he could, he groaned again before falling back against the spare tire. "Crapcakes, I'm booooored!"

"We heard you the first thousand times," Sanzo snarled back, tightening his grip on the fan. Just once more, come on...

"I'm sick of drivin' all the time," the boy continued to rail, his voice growing louder and more grating with each word. He was bouncing up and down in his seat like he had to take a piss or something. "I'm. So. Bored! I wanna fight some bad guys or somethin'!"

"Damn straight on that," Gojyo added with mild enthusiasm. "Gimme anything to break this routine up. Same damn faces ever damn day. Gets pretty pathetic, you know. Besides, it's not like we've got anything else to talk about. This one only talks about food, that one only knows how to say 'shut up' or 'die' or a combination of the two, and you don't know how to hold a simple conversation, 'Kai."

"Why, thank you Gojyo," Hakkai replied sweetly, green eyes crinkling with the wide smile. "But really, is it all that bad that? I thought boredom was a sign of peace. It really wouldn't do to tempt fate, now would it?"

"Fuck peace. If fate comes in the form of long legs and a skinny waist, bring it on. I'm all for that kinda fate."

"I want my fate to be meatbuns," Goku crowed excitedly from his spot, face suddenly glowing as if the very food item were about to rain from the heavens.

Sanzo rolled his eyes, shaking his head when he saw the faint gathering of saliva in the corner of Goku's mouth. "And thus fate would help you two embarass yourselves," he muttered. Fine, they didn't want to push his buttons into physical action? He could dish it out verbally just as well.

"Ooo... that was pretty clever, Sanzo," Hakkai teased. "I'm disappointed I didn't think of it faster."

"Cry me a damn river."

"Hakkaaai, how long 'til we get there?" Goku hollered, drowning out anything the green-eyed man would have said next. "I can't feel my ass!"

"Newsflash, dumb ass; none of us can," Gojyo fired back. FINALLY! Now they were getting into it. Sanzo almost smirked in anticipation of the beating to come.

"It should be just passed this mountain. Another four hours or so though until we get there, but you should be able to-"

Shadows suddenly appeared on the ground next to them. Shadows that looked to be carrying knives. What the hell... Sanzo gripped the OS bar as Hakkai spun the Jeep to one side and avoided the figures that had tried to leap down directly into the back of the Jeep. Assassins, alright... but why the hell hadn't he sensed any demonic aura?

Goku was already clammering out of the Jeep, grinning like he'd just found a secret stash of meatbuns. "About time you guys showed up! I was really bored waitin' to kick your asses!"

Something wasn't right about this. Sanzo's eyes narrowed as the attackers fanned out around them, brandishing weapons that ranged anywhere from clubs to whips. No auras, no markings... limiters? No, that wouldn't make any sense. Why would assassins limit themselves when going in for a kill? The Jeep bounced as Gojyo jumped over the side as well, the shaku-jo chain rattling as he shook it free and coiled it expertly around his wrist.

"And it's about goddamn time we got to stretch our legs anyway," the red-head commented, waiting with an odd patience he only showed at the start of a battle for the assassins to make the first move. He didn't have to wait long for that. Snarling, the first six rushed at them, kinves and swords raised to hack down at the two. It was then he got a good look at their bodies. The cigarette he'd been about to light remained unattended as he stared in shock. These were youkai. These were humans. What the fuck was going on?

"No!" Hakkai shouted, getting partially out of the Jeep as the other two ran toward the humans. "Look at them, they're not youkai! They're human!"

Metal rang against metal as Gojyo held off three of the men briefly before shoving them back with a harsh grunt, crimson eyes narrowed but doing as Hakkai said and looking around the circle penning them all in place. Sanzo remained in the Jeep, waiting for he-didn't-know-what to happen. Humans attacking them... That was something new. What did they ever do to earn the wrath of humans? If this was because that fucking half-breed fucked some farmer's daughter senseless... He grit his teeth so hard he bit through the filter of his cigarette before he snatched it from his mouth and flung it away in disgust. And now he'd just wasted a perfectly good smoke. This day was just getting better and better!

"Uh... for real, Hakkai?" Goku asked dubously, one brow quirked upward in disbelief."

"He's not shittin' us, Goku," Gojyo answered for the other man. "Not a trace of youkai energy anywhere. Shit... goddamn, fucking shit! Hakkai?" It was obvious the kappa was asking the other man for an explaination.

It wasn't necessary for Hakkai to answer however. Shuffling steps alerted them to one of the humans moving closer to the Jeep, his breathing labored and harsh sounding from his wide chest. Dry lips were parted to emit those growls of air, eyebrows nearly covering his...

Yellow eyes?

No, that couldn't be right. Yellow wasn't a shade typical in humans. Youkai, yes. Humans, no. Sanzo narrowed his own eyes to see if maybe it was the light playing tricks on him. His perusal was distracted as the man spoke, the words seemingly pried from his rasping lungs.

"Kill... the youkai. Kill them. Kill... them."

Oh. Well, shit. This was something very new indeed.


	35. Chapter 35

The wind snapped and stung along her skin as the dragon circled back again over the dense forest. This entire region was almost nothing but thick trees and greenery, which meant finding a runaway princess was going to be near impossible. Yaone pressed her heels into the dragon's sides a little to encourage it lower. It's wings beat at the tree tops and made the clinging scent of pine waft up in retaliation of the thrashing. Yaone peered over the side of the dragon's thick neck, nose wrinkling at the smell. It wasn't just pine she was catching, she realized as the scents finally connected with her brain. There was a tinge of rotting meat and old blood, too. It wasn't too surprising to catch little traces of that in a forest, but this was more than just a trace. A large amount of death had occurred within the last few days in this area, she would bet good money on that. She couldn't tell without exploring on foot whether it was youkai or human though. Despite the physical differences, both smelled the same in death.

"Damn it, Lirin," she muttered as she all but stretched herself out flat along the thick, warm hide of the dragon's curving neck. The dragon continued to hover briefly over the area while she inspected it before moving on at the same altitude with a little press of heels. Where had that girl wandered off to now? Lirin had only a few places she'd disappear to; a mountain lake a good thirty miles from Houtu Castle, a small youkai village to the north, or (more than likely nowadays) wherever the Sanzo party happened to be. They'd picked up the girl's trail fairly easily, which meant she hadn't been gone for very long. That had led them here, to a ridiculously thick forest, where all signs of her stopped or vanished. She had to be in the area. This was roughly where Sanzo would be, so it made sense for the princess to be around as well.

Yaone frowned, fingers curling tighter over the reins. For once, she truly hoped the girl hadn't bumped into those four. Things between her and Sanzo were... tense, to put it mildly. That last visit had been painful. He'd basically flat-out announced he thought she was sleeping with Kougaiji. She'd always known, and accepted, that he wouldn't ever fully trust her while they were enemies. It made sense and was, regrettably, mutual on her end. She'd never imagined he wouldn't trust her to be faithful, though.

Did he honestly think she was the type to go screwing around behind her lover's back? The thought made her stomach clench fiercely as her cheeks began to burn with the stirrings of anger. After how many conversations and nights shared together, and he thought she'd do that? It was painful to know her boyfriend thought she was a whore, and that there wasn't much she could do to convince him otherwise. He had no evidence to suggest it was true, and there was no way possible to obtain that evidence to begin with. Theirs was a long distance relationship between enemies. Talk about being complicated!

Yaone shifted and sat up, twisting the reins to the right to turn the dragon sharply over a new patch of forest. Speaking of complications... There was still the issue of her betraying him in another sense. It gnawed at her hard about what she'd done, so badly in fact that she wasn't sure she could keep it to herself any longer. It wasn't honest and it wasn't right. Yes, no harm had come of it, but she'd done exactly as he'd said she would do. Kougaji had asked... and she had chosen him over her lover.

Which led her straight back to the current problem; Sanzo accusing her of sleeping with Kougaiji. Blush stained her cheeks as she switched direction again, circling back at a higher altitude for more encompassing look over the forest. He'd been partially correct, she realized now. There was no mistaking what had almost occurred in her lab a scant few hours before. Kougaiji had come within a few hairs of kissing her. There was a time where she would have given anything for that intimate gesture from her savior, but those fantasies had died a while back. He hadn't reciprocated the feelings, and she had grown tired of waiting for him to change. But now... why did he have to pick now to do this? She'd stopped dreaming of him, but even between when she locked those thoughts away and when she first started falling for Sanzo, she probably would have turned to him instead. He'd had every opportunity before this, and of course he'd wait until she was in love with someone else. She couldn't now. Kougaiji was her lord and friend, but he wasn't the one she wanted to wake up to in the morning. It was an arrogant, stubborn, irritable monk that had somehow managed to work himself into that spot in her life. Damn him.

She let out a slow, shuddering breath as the scene replayed back to her again. Kougaiji touching her lightly while her stomach churned with nervous acid as she tried to stop him with words. His lips moving softly in her name as they came closer, her pressing against his chest, trying to keep some distance between them. It was wondrously good timing on Dokugakuji's part to burst in exactly when he did. If he hadn't... She was the one no longer capable of reciprocation, and her rejecting him would have ruined the friendship they had. Kougaiji took things like that very personally, despite how he pretended it didn't effect him in the least. All men had a good amount of pride, but his streak of it was a little healthier than most.

How had Sanzo been able to see it so clearly? He didn't know about their group dynamics beyond what was revealed during a fight, and he certainly wasn't familiar with Kougaiji's personality as a whole. So how was it he saw something even she hadn't noticed? Why hadn't she seen it at all? This wasn't something that simply happened over night. Attraction had to build up between two people and that usually took a bit of time. He must have felt that way for a while now... and she was just stunningly obtuse to the whole thing. Damn it all, if only she hadn't been so wrapped up in her own little world, she could have done something! If she'd just caught on a bit sooner, then maybe Sanzo...

Wait, she was _not_ about to feel guilty over this! He owed her the apology, not the other way around. So what if Kougaiji was attracted to her? It didn't change the fact that she was exclusively with Sanzo. All the feelings in the world from her lord couldn't change the fact that she loved the bitter monk dearly. He'd read Kougaiji's intentions easily enough, so why the hell couldn't he read hers? Hadn't she made it more than obvious she was with him and no one else?

True, they had never discussed the exclusivity of their relationship, but Sanzo was the type to fall back at signs of commitment. He'd stated he was her boyfriend, which had nearly shocked her into passing out to hear that admission in the first place. His definition of the term 'boyfriend' could be vastly different from hers, however. As much as she didn't want to do it, and as much as she knew it would annoy him, they had to settle what kind of relationship they had exactly or things were going to get even more messy than they already were. She was _so not _looking forward to that conversation. Yaone squirmed against her dragon's neck, her stomach already churning up a protest at having to get the non-commital, extraordinarily closed-off man to sit down and stay seated throughout the discussion. _Maybe I should drug his wine so he's paralyzed and can't argue back_, she thought dryly, lips quirking into a smile. Of course, there were other possibilities for an immobilized Genjyo Sanzo that had nothing to do with sorting through their relationship...

Yaone shook her head sharply and frowned as her thoughts wandered off to those intriguing scenarios. Damn it all, why did he have to be so desireable? Why couldn't he have been the cold-hearted asshole she'd always assumed he was? It wasn't fair that he could go and press all her buttons! He was extremely intelligent, so it was easy to hold a decent conversation. His sense of humor was positively buried under the sarcasm and ill-temper, but it was worth the effort on her part just to see those eyes flare up briefly and the twitch of lips which meant he was practically dying from mirth. Physically, there wasn't much else to compare him to. She loved how his skin looked coated lightly with sweat, or the surprised wonder that quickly darkened to lust whenever she showed him a new bedroom trick. She knew from little hints that she wasn't the first to perform sexual favors for him, but she would bet her life she was his first true physical encounter.

Her teeth clenched tightly with annoyance, ignoring the wind whipped strands of hair that crossed her vision. She absolutely did _not_ want to go there, especially when she was still a little upset with him. A naked Sanzo, while pleasant, was not at all helpful for her current situation. What she _should_ focus on was how to convince him she wasn't seeing anyone else... and how she was going to face Kougaiji now that everything was out in the open. God, why did men have to be so difficult?

A thin fizzle of sound followed by a bright yellow burst of light drew her attention to the right, by the river. That was Dokugakuji's section, she realized, immediately tugging her dragon around that direction. Pale greyish hide and wings to her left told her Kougaiji had seen it, too, and was heading for the swordsman as well. The flash explosive was the signal that evidence of Lirin, or the princess herself, had been found. Yaone circled the air a little longer, not only allowing Kougaiji to land first but giving her a little more time to collect herself before facing him. Taking a few deep breaths and releasing them slowly, she leaned back in the saddle, encouraging the dragon lower to the ground. The dragon landed smoothly, taking a few running steps to slow it's momentum to a hault. It shook it's head as she dismounted, golden eyes moving from one dragon to another in a form of unspoken communication. A loud squawk of discontent reverberated through the small clearing, easily cutting through the gurgling of the small river. Whatever was making that noise wasn't happy... and was in the trees. Yaone secured the long reins to a tree and went over to the other two men, curious what had their attention.

"No flying priviledges for a month," Kougaiji ground out, fists clenched angrily. Yaone groaned, shaking her head when she saw what had her employer in such a foul mood. Sparky was strung up the tree again, his head nearly purple from the blood rush and the stream of yowling that took on a more desperate sound when he saw her enter the picture. He was used to her being the one to cut him down or treat him with a bit more kindness than the princess. No matter how many times Lirin was told about this, she never listened!

"That's not gonna stop her, Kou," Dokugakuji commented with a heavy sigh. He took a half step forward to gain momentum before jumping onto the tree branch, sword in his hand. "You'll say it, and she'll either give you puppy eyes or go behind your back and take the poor guy out anyway. Then, we'll go out searching, find him trussed up like a bad birthday present and it'll start all over again."

"Then I'll just assign more guards," Kougaiji called back, he and Yaone spreading out to either side to try and catch the howling dragon. Their eyes met briefly before Yaone quickly looked away, blush coloring her cheeks again. Kougaiji let out a breath that sounded vaguely frustrated, but it was impossible to tell if it was directed at her or his sister. Either way, the tension between them was thick enough to make her squirm a little. Well, _this_ was getting nice and awkward!

"On three. One... two... three!"

The heavy weight of Sparky crashing into their arms nearly brought them both to their knees. Dokugakuji was quick to jump down and assist them in setting the struggling dragon on the ground before he carefully cut through the expertly tied ropes looping around him. Once free, Sparky surged to his feet, wings extending so fast they almost caught Dokugakuji in the head. Cramping and temporary paralysis obviously hadn't had a chance to set in yet, so he couldn't have been hogtied for very long. Yaone's eyes swept the area around them as the two men managed to loop a loose rope around Sparky's neck to tether him to a tree. Lirin had to be around here...

She finally found what she was looking for; a clear marking in the brush line where something about Lirin's height went crashing through. How surprisingly easy, she thought. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she approached the very evident gap, bending lower to look at the ground. Lirin would never leave her trail so open, not unless she was trying to draw their attention away from her. She was smarter than that. Unfortunately for her, they all knew that. A little smile came to her lips when she saw the foot prints stopped only just inside the entrance and came back through again before disappearing at the same tree Sparky had been strung up in. The princess was obviously moving above the ground in order to lose them. Yaone stood, glancing over at the other two still fussing over the dragon. "She's in the trees, my lord."

"Any clear direction?" he inquired, checking the wing joints to see if they were at all bruised or strained. Torn joint muscles would mean the poor dragon would be out of commission for at least a few months. It was anyone's guess whether Kougaiji was praying for or against this, however. If Sparky couldn't fly, it meant Lirin was unable to sneak off. _It would also mean you're stuck as well_, she thought to herself with a bitter twist of lips.

"Seeing as the Sanzo party's coming west, I'd say chances are more than good for her heading east," Dokugakuji.

Yaone's stomach threatened to crawl up her throat as she offered tentantively, "Would you like me to start searching east, Lord Kougaiji?" She really didn't want to at the moment, but someone had to go fetch Lirin. And it would also give her a opportunity to judge Sanzo's body language a bit. There was a small chance that perhaps he wasn't angry anymore, and that would make their talk a little easier to initiate. She hoped anyway.

"No!" The vehemence of that response made both of his servants look up in surprise. It was uncharacteristically harsh for the prince and instantly made her wonder if he suspected she was seeing Genjyo Sanzo. Why else for that random burst of anger? Gritting his teeth and clearly making an effort to appear calm, he continued saying, "We can't always assume that Lirin will try and find those four. Dokugakuji, go east. Yaone, start off northward and I'll cover south. We already know she won't be moving back west. Send up the flares if you find her, but meet back here in three hours if you don't."

"You got it!"

"Yes, my lord."

Their group broke, moving quickly and as silently as possible through the forest. Yaone constantly checked the forest canopy as she moved, keeping an eye out for any sign that Lirin had been through there. Not even a displaced bird's nest as far as she could see. Either Lirin was becoming too good at covering her tracks or the trail was colder than they'd initially thought. Either way, they had to find the princess as fast as possible. Dark clouds were moving in, mixing the heavy scent of rain with the forest decay and death that was even more pronounced now that she was on the same level as it. Her nose wrinkled a little as she continued to move easily through the trees, senses tuned for anything out of the ordinary.

What was she going to do about all this? Perhaps she could pretend she hadn't noticed the deep emotions in Kougaiji's eyes as he'd bent to kiss her? Ignorance, even if faked, was still bliss after all. The same could be said for Sanzo as well. So long as she didn't mention her betrayal or Kougaiji trying to kiss her, everything would hopefully be fine. Right?

So if everything would be all rainbows and sunshine, why did she feel so crappy for doing it? After all, it wasn't technically a lie. She was just choosing to omit information for the sake of their relationship. If it was for a greater good, it couldn't be bad, could it? She let out a weary sigh as she pushed a pine branch out of her way. No, it was bad. Scratch that, it was _very_ bad. A lie was a lie, no matter how thickly it was coated in sugar and glossed over to look pretty. She could try and excuse it by saying he'd never find out, but she knew better. Bad things tended to get kicked up when least expected, and it would only be much worse if Sanzo were to find out from an outside party. "Great," she muttered as she stepped carefully over a rotted log. "This is going to be such a lovely conversation."

A faint prickling of youkai energy traced along her skin and made her freeze in place, standing as still as possible behind the giant oak she was just about to round. A river continued to flow and splash off to her right, the wind gently moving through trees just beginning to turn rusty brown and brilliant yellow. It carried with it that same smell of blood and death that seemed to permeate the entire forest, but all of this was background to what she was really focused on. The first thing was that aura, so carefully contained as if someone were trying to hide. The other was the fact that all the birds were now very quiet. Yaone relaxed her shoulders, hand dropping to the pouch on her belt that she'd stuffed with the prototype explosives. Well, she'd been looking for an excuse to use them, she just hoped they worked as planned if it was an enemy she was sensing.

The leaves and branches crackling above her made her look up in time to jump back and avoid the shape plummeting to the ground. Her arm swung back, the small disc already held between her fingers for a quick release. "BOO! Hahaha, gotcha, Yaone! Boy, you should see the look on your face. You musta thought I was a monster!" Lirin howled, falling over on the forest floor and clutching her stomach.

Yaone's shoulders hunched forward as she let out a relieved breath, her heart still hammering in her chest from the sudden adrenaline rush. Closing her eyes and pressing a shaky hand over them, she slipped the explosive disc back into her pouch and counted down from twenty to keep from exploding at the laughing princess. "Lirin... Do you have any idea how close I came to harming you?" she asked, trying to control the outrage from coming out. It had only been a joke, after all, but it was a dangerous thing for the girl to pull out in the wilderness where they had no idea who was friend and who was foe. "If I'd let go of this..."

Lirin's laughter stopped abruptly and she suddenly found surprisingly strong arms wrapped around her waist and squeezing her tightly. Yaone blinked her eyes open before she hugged the princess back with a resigned smile. It was nearly impossible to stay mad at the girl for very long. "I'm sorry, Yaone. I just thought it'd be funny, y'know? An' it really was, too, but I didn't mean to make you mad! You're not mad now, are ya?"

"No, just... please be more cautious in the future, alright?" she answered, ruffling curls that simply refused to stay in place. Dokugakuji was right. All it took to get out of a mess was big puppy eyes and a well placed pout. Yaone sighed as the realization that she'd just been suckered in hit home.

The girl leaned back enough to flash an impudent grin that said more clearly than words she knew she'd won. She released her tight hug and began to skip off just a little. "C'mon, if we hurry we can catch up with Baldy-head! I saw 'em down on the road when I was flyin' over head. This way, Yaone!"

"Lirin... Lady Lirin, we have to meet up with your brother... Lirin!" Damn it, usually mentioning Kougaiji worked wonders in getting the girl's attention. Yaone sighed again and quickly ran after the bouncing form ahead of her. Some days she just didn't get paid enough to get out of bed. The combination of anxiety and eagerness were eating away at her insides as she hurried through the rapidly thinning forest after her charge, her longer legs quickly making up ground. On the one hand was a chance to judge Sanzo's reaction toward her without the risk of a confrontation in private, but on the other was she was still mad at the very false accusation he'd made the last time she'd seen him.

As they continued to run, the decaying smell became stronger and stronger. Whether Lirin noticed or not was unclear seeing as she pressed on with head strong determination. Yaone covered her nose with one hand to try and filter out the sharp scent of rotting meat and sun-dried blood. This wasn't just normal forest death. This was the end results of a battle. If the growing strength in the smell was any indication, they'd soon be discovering whether it was youkai, human or both. Her stomach lurched a little at the thought of stumbling upon youkai bodies that bore obvious signs of running into the Sanzo party.

She understood he had no choice but to kill to stay alive, but it still wasn't easy when the list of names rolled out everyday of the latest lives claimed by a banishing gun. The screaming widows cursing the man who sent their husbands to an early grave always tore at her. She felt their pain, truly, and it hurt almost as badly when she recognized some of the names herself, but what if the results were different? What if they only read one name off, proclaimed proudly that Genjyo Sanzo was finally captured and killed? She would be the only person there to grieve for him. While others celebrated and roared their approval, she'd be the one dying inside.

It was one of the many risks, and many complications, to their relationship. She accepted this, but accepting wasn't the same as letting go. How could she let go? She loved the man who was killing off her kind, albeit in self-defence. She was on the same mission as every other assassin sent after them; find the Sanzo party, take the Maten Sutra and preferably kill them so they couldn't try and reclaim it. The idea of possibly having to face each other in battle wasn't anything new. It was just yet another thing that lay between them. _One of the many, constantly growing list of things, _she mused bitterly.

She nearly collided with Lirin's back when the girl came to a sudden hault just outside the tree line where the road cut through the thick forest. Yaone's lips parted in shock as her eyes slowly scanned over the scene. Bodies were everywhere, all of them youkai. All of them bore round blackened circles where the blood had dried to bullet wounds, and all of them had twisted expressions of agony across their bloated faces. They'd been dead for at least three days, slowly baking in the sun overhead. Skin was splitting to let the meat out, flies swarmed the sky so that the two had to back up a couple steps just to keep from being bombarded. A few of the bodies closer to the forest looked to have been gouged open by animal claws, some missing limbs. Yaone put a protective arm around Lirin as the girl gagged and pinched her nose together.

"I can still smell it in my mouth," Lirin complained, green eyes wide and shocked. The girl wasn't naive about the outcome of a serious battle, but this was her first real brush with the horrors of it.

"Let's go, Lirin," Yaone said softly, using the arm looped around her shoulders to tug gently. Lirin didn't budge, her eyes moving over the macabre display with an odd mixture of anger and numbing shock.

"Hey... they were all shot," she said softly, her hand falling away from her nose at that startling conclusion.

Yaone's back stiffened sharply. She'd noticed that, too, and knew exactly who the princess was thinking of. "This wasn't him, Lirin," she said firmly. It couldn't have been Sanzo's work. There were nearly fifty youkai from what she could tell. Not even Sanzo on his best day could take that many on at once. Besides, this bore the signs of a slaughter. Evidence of this was in the line of corpses that had obviously been kneeling at the side of the road, waiting for a bullet to rip their heads open. They'd been brutally executed. That wasn't Sanzo's style/

"You don't know that!" Lirin snapped, fists clenching angrily. A fine tremor was moving through her and a sharp sniffle was the only sign Yaone had that the girl was crying. "I mean, he uses a gun, right? An' he's always sayin' he's gonna kill whoever's in his way, too! Well, they were on this road an' these guys got in their way! I thought he was a nice guy!"

"Lirin, listen to me," Yaone said, her voice rising in order to get her full attention. "This has nothing to do with Genjyo Sanzo. These men have been here for at least three, possibly four days. He wasn't in the area at the time. Second, not all of the bodies would bear bullet wounds. The other three would have been with him, and we would have seen something much worse left behind than this. Third, if it _had_ been the banishing gun, there wouldn't be any bodies left. All we would have found was ash strewn across the road."

Lirin listened to her and her eyes slowly went from pained rage to nothing but sorrow. She sniffled again, wiping at her eyes. "Why would somebody do that?" she mumbled. "We're not mean! Why would they go an' kill like this?"

"Not everyone agrees with you on that, Lirin," Yaone said, her voice ending in a sad little sigh. Despite everything, Lirin still was an innocent. Living in a castle in the middle of a war hadn't changed that. She'd been very carefully sheltered by her mother and brother from this aspect of battle, and that shelter was literally ripped from around her to shove this reality into her lap. It wasn't fair on her. All she'd known until that point was they were trying to get the Maten Sutra. She hadn't fully comprehended that the youkai and humans were fighting beyond that. Yaone hugged the girl again, smoothing out the curls as her body shook with quiet tears. She felt awful that she'd been the one with her when that innocence was taken. All she could do was hug her and let her cry for a little while.

She waited until the sniffles weren't as loud and the shaking had nearly stopped before she pulled away, one hand slipping under Lirin's chin to force splotchy green eyes to meet hers. The look in those usually bright eyes said this was going to haunt her until she died. Twenty years from now, Lirin was going to remember this day like it had just happened. Whoever had done this had done more than slaughter a group of youkai. They'd destroyed Lirin's happy-go-lucky view of the world as well, and that hurt her on a more personal level than any amount of carnage. One of Lirin's most endearing traits was that she truly looked at everyone in the world as a friend until they did something to change that. Most everyone else would act cautious and suspicious until it was proven they were friends. That immediate trust and liking was what made Lirin who she was.

The leaves rustled and moved, drawing Yaone's gave up into the treetops again. That had nothing to do with a wind, she was sure of it. Something else was up there. The adrenaline that was still under the surface came back full force as she pulled away from Lirin cautiously. More rustling came from the ground to their left, then across the road littered with youkai bodies. Lirin looked up at her, frowning. "Yaone?"

"Shh," she cautioned, all her attention now on the movement of whatever was trying to encircle them. She summoned her spear, keeping one hand on Lirin's shoulder as she steered the girl back into th forest. The trees above them rattled and moved along with them, marking their position. If she'd stepped into the clearing, it would have given her a better survey of the area but would have set them up perfectly for the ambush. At least in the forest they stood a chance of outrunning or hiding whoever was watching them so sloppily.

Lirin's eyes were wide, but her lips were clenched tight and her fists ready to punch. She was scared, but the will to fight still kicked in her. Yaone continued her slow, backward retreat, tracking the movements that followed them. At least six to her left, she guessed, another four to her right, and judging from the shadows she saw jumping from tree to tree there were another three or so up there. Plus, the ones across the road. Her eyes narrowed as one of the bodies shifted and rolled over. A figure stood from the wreckage, covered in rotting gore and carrying what looked like a roughly made club. She didn't need for him to be any closer to know he was human. "Lirin," she said softly, eyes darting to the right as three more humans became clear. They were covered over in mud, which was why she hadn't been able to see them before. Shit, this wasn't looking good!

"Yaone?" Lirin asked again, voice a little louder and carrying a faint edge of fear.

"Wait for them to start, then I want you to run," she said, her voice surprisingly low and calm. It was nice to know the somersaults her stomach was doing didn't come out in her words. "Head back for the clearing where Sparky is." She let go of the girl's shoulder to dig into her pouch, easily finding the small round flash bombs before pushing them against a tightly closed fist and reserving one for herself. "Set these off and Lord Kougaiji will be there shortly. Stay with him, I'll return when I'm done with them."

"But, Yaone-,"

"I'll be fine, Lirin. They're only humans." Humans armed and moving through the trees just as gracefully as any youkai. Something was so completely off about this situation. Humans couldn't jump like that, they shouldn't be able to move like that either. They were closing in with a steadiness that had nothing to do with confidence in numbers. This was more like watching wild dog packs single out the weaker member for a round of brutal assaults.

"Kill... Kill the youkai..."

Yaone's eyes widened, her head whipping around at the words seemingly dragged from a parched throat. What was that? He didn't... Did he just say that? Humans attacking youkai wasn't unheard up, but it was done by professionally trained soldiers, not back country farmers with pitchforks and home-made blades! What on earth was going on?

"Yaone, he just said-" Lirin began, the fear now fully taking over her voice.

"I heard him," she replied firmly. "Just remember what I said, Lirin."

"Yaone, what if they-"

"They won't, I promise. Get ready, and don't look back." Shit, she'd underestimated their numbers. Seven more appeared out of the heap of bodies, six more had joined on the left, and she couldn't count the different shadows in the trees anymore. Some of them were dropping to the ground to try and close the circle from the back. Yaone's hand was poised and ready with the explosive. "Get behind me, Lirin, and close your eyes."

Lirin did as she was told, back pressed close to hers. Just a couple more steps behind... Yaone whipped around and sent the little bomb whistling into the air as the three she'd been waiting for were suddenly within the blast radius. The bomb exploded and she quickly closed her eyes before the blinding light flooded the area. The men howled, and judging from the cracking bracken and leaves they were stumbling around blindly. "Run, Lirin! NOW!" Lirin's little whine was followed quickly by her footsteps rushing away. A couple of grunts and yelps of pain meant the girl had obviously decided to take out the three behind her before she disappeared. Yaone smiled at the thoughtful gesture, even if she'd disobeyed her by doing it.

Yaone wasted no time in pressing her temporary advantage. Men dropped from the treetops, uneffected by the flash bomb, and they quickly found themselves spitted on her spear, falling to the ground clutching death wounds in their chests. She ducked back to avoid a club smashing for her skull, spun low to trip another attacker before running him through and then twisted her spear shaft up over her head to catch the blade snapping toward her head. She rolled aside, elbow kicking back to meet with soft groin tissue before the heel of her palm shattered a nose into pieces.

A knife was thrown and sliced along the top of her shoulder, drawing a little hiss and blood from her. Yaone quickly withdrew three more explosives, this time the deadly ones, and flung them out into the group of attackers before twisting her way through the trees, taking a running leap to land a solid kick at one man's chest as he sought to get in her way. She ignored the frantic slamming of her heart as she dodged a punch that would have probably broken her neck, bringing her knee up into the man's chest to send him down to the ground. Glancing back as she ran for the river and probably her only chance of escape, her stomach sank even lower when she saw the ones she hadn't killed getting up to give chase. And, a little further behind them, were more humans joining the action. She was out numbered by about thirty to one. Those weren't good odds.

She pushed herself to run faster, her eyes widening a little when she noticed at least three of the humans were matching her pace and speed. Impossible! How were they able to do this? Yaone shoved the question aside and tried to squeeze any extra burst of speed she could out of her straining legs. Whatever advantage she could pull on them to make her escape would mean everything.

A sharp whistling sound and a thunk in a nearby tree alerted her to the archers. Four more arrows followed that and it wasn't until she was dodging them in the ground that she realized her mistake. They'd expected her to run for the river and had set up a gauntlet ambush to ensure she died. Damn it all, why couldn't anything just work out as planned? Yaone quickly averted her attention from the men running just outside the gauntlet and to the archers above her. Keeping her ears tuned to the pinging of strings so she could avoid the arrows, she flung three more bombs into the air, covering her head as they went off and sent bodies as well as tree limbs crumbling behind her. She could see the river now, which gave her an extra boost and sent her flying ahead of those chasing her.

Yaone screamed and went skidding to the ground when an unseen wire trap caught her foot. Dirt, dead leaves and twigs dug into her skin and cut along her cheek as her speed made her roll a good distance away. Her back slammed into a tree hard and she couldn't keep back hiss of pain as she forced her dizzy eyes to remain open. Her ankle was throbbing and was already swelling up. Most likely a sprain of some kind, nothing serious but it had done it's job. She couldn't run anymore. She stumbled to her feet, leaning her weight against the tree and ignoring the feel of air along fresh scrapes covering her legs and face. Gingerly, she tested a little weight on her ankle and the electric-like pain was enough to make her forget any idea of putting more pressure on it.

The men circled around, grins slashing across their faces as they realized their quarry was trapped. The archers had joined them now, bows loose in their hands. Yaone's grip tightened along her spear as she waited with her back to the tree. Slowly, she removed the prototype explosive from her pouch, holding it flat to her palm. They were really too close for her to use it without getting herself caught in the blast, but it was her only choice. She could let them kill her or she could take them down with her. Slowly, she let her gaze move from face to face and waited for them to start the attack.

That was when she noticed their eyes and gasped. All yellow. Yellow was NOT a human coloring, and the odds that more than thirty men could all have that same exact shade of yellow as as impossible as humans matching a youkai in strength and speed. Whatever was happening was giving humans the edge to fight back.

"Kill the youkai..." The same rasping words started again and soon became a gruesome chant among the men pressing closer. Their voices buzzed together like the sound of the flies at the slaughter area and echoed back against the closed in trees until the words were blurred and all that remained was the sound of their rough voices. Yaone's claws dug into the bark behind her as she fought to remain calm in the face of such blind hatred and blood lust. There was no cruel laughter, no taunting as she would have expected from those who knew they had the upper hand. All they said was 'kill the youkai', as if that were all they could think about or do. They were like those mindless puppets Nii had created not too long ago.

Yaone's breath caught. Drones... was Nii using humans in his experiments now? Why would he do that when he was siding with the youkai? It didn't make any sense... and yet it made perfect sense. If Nii could control and improve humans so they were as strong as youkai, then the Sanzo party didn't stand a chance. There wouldn't be a safe place in all of India for them to stay. Both humans and youkai would be hunting them down. It was perfect in it's disgusting efficiency.

Twigs snapping brought her attention back to her own predicament. Right, she was about to possibly die, she couldn't afford to worry about Sanzo at the moment. She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly to try and stop her hands from shaking. _Please, God, let me get out of this alive. I don't want to die quite yet._ She had one shot at this, one chance to possibly survive the blast. Yaone couldn't hold back the pained whimper as she forced herself to step onto her ankle. Ignoring the pain that threatened to make her vomit, she brought her hand back for one final throw. She'd have to be quick about this or she'd go down with her enemies.

A loud growl of pure rage followed by a snaking line of fire that moved with serpentine preciseness among the gathered humans made her stumble back and fall against the tree, her ass hitting the ground hard as she covered her face against the heat. In its wake came the sounds of pained shouts and the wet sound of flesh being ripped from bone. Yaone slowly uncovered her head, her jaw dropping when she saw Kougaiji literally tearing the humans to pieces, his claws dripping with thick crimson blood. The flaming snake form circled around him as he moved with deadly grace from one blood-blinded human to the next. Kougaiji...

Metal on metal alerted her to Dokugakuji's presence as the swordsman quickly hacked his way over to her, making short work of those trying to bar his path. Lirin was off a little from him, moving with inhuman agility and speed as she fought through the men as well. Random little comments ("This is cuz you smell funny! An' that's for that funny wart-thing on your nose!") caught her attention as the girl easily knocked out the attackers with sharp, quick blows. She should have known Lirin wouldn't listen to her and stay out of the fight.

"How bad, Yaone?" Dokugakuji asked as he knelt beside her, leaving the brother and sister to finish off those behind them. Yaone blinked and had to struggle to pull her eyes away from her lord's brutal attacks. Kougaiji... She'd never seen him so enraged before! The naked fury on his face was enough to make her shiver. "Just my ankle," she said, her voice a little thick. She winced at a sharp cracking of bone followed by a death scream before silence filled the blood-thickened air.

"Can you stand on it?" The taller man stood up and held his hand out to give her a pull.

Yaone caught her lower lip between her teeth as she took the aid, Doku's strength easily pulling her to her feet, before she stepped gingerly onto her sore foot. A little flare of pain, but not a lot. Slowly, she applied more pressure until a small hiss was sucked in through her gritted teeth. "It's manageable," she managed to say.

"You sure?" Doku pressed, one dark brow raised skeptically.

She nodded and limped a little further out into the clearing. Lirin grinned up at her, hands on her hips. The girl's eyes were glowing with pride at her deviant behavior, her curls bouncing as she jogged closer. "So, you can't be mad at me, Yaone," she stated confidently.

"I most certainly can be," Yaone answered, not even bothering to hide her displeasure. She could always blame it on the pain later, but right now Lirin needed to hear the annoyance. Why didn't she understand that they were all just trying to protect her? "You were supposed to run to safety."

"Noooo... you said to run and find big brother. So, I did. An' I told him how you stayed to take care of all those nasty, mean men by yourself. Then HE took off like he was bein' chased by those stupid girls at the party, and seein' as you said I had to stay with him... I came back, too! An' it was a good thing, cuz you were about to have your ass handed to you."

"Behave yourself, squirt," Dokugakuji warned lightly. Lirin stuck her tongue out at him, which in turn made a deep chuckle come from his chest. Yaone shot the swordsman a glare she hoped he understood. His laughing at the situation didn't at all help to press the point home!

She started a little when tanned hands that had been wiped clean of any blood came into view, one touching her waist hesitantly while the other lifted her chin until she could meet worried indigo eyes. "Are you really alright?" Kougaiji asked. He either didn't care or wasn't aware of how intimately soft his voice was.

Yaone blushed and used the pretence of shifting her weight to a more comfortable position to extricate herself a little from his hands. The dead silence of their other two companions said they'd noticed the tone of voice as well. She glanced over at Dokugakuji and Lirin under her lashes, her blush deepening when she saw the slightly shocked look on the man's face and the brilliant smile stretching the girl's. Great... just great. Now they were beginning to think they were together as well. "I'm fine, my lord. Really. Thank you for your concern, though," she answered as formally as possible. She carefully avoided his gaze, knowing she'd see hurt and confusion there, and it would hurt her more to know she was the cause of that. It couldn't be helped, however.

Kougaiji cleared his throat a little, his back straightening subtly as he regained his composure. "Good. That's... good. Now, why didn't you run with Lirin? If she could make it, you could have as well."

"My lord, you saw how many there were. I had no way of knowing how many more were scattered through the woods. By posing a threat to those around me, it forced them to fight me instead of chase her and ultimately be led directly to you."

"You could have been killed." The raw emotion from when he'd first addressed her was back with that statement, his hands curling into frustrated fists. As if a jealous boyfriend weren't enough, now she'd have to deal with an over-protective employer. Yaone let out a low breath and opened her mouth to speak.

Dokugakuji beat her to the task, taking a step closer and crossing his arms over his chest. "Any of us could be killed at any time, Kou," the taller man stated, his thin lips twisted in a little frown. "You would have done the same thing if you were in her position. Yaone knew what she was doing."

She could almost see the internal struggle written across Kougaiji's face as he willed himself back into calmness. His concern was touching, but it stemmed from feelings she didn't want to encourage in him. He finally gave one curt nod and turned his back on them both, which was a blessing since she didn't want to see the whirlwind of confusion in his eyes. "Dokugakuji, help her walk back. That rain isn't going to hold out forever," he said curtly before he began to walk swiftly away, Lirin running after him and calling for him to hold up.

Yaone stared after him for a moment before letting out a weary sigh. She looped one of her arms over Dokugakuji's broad shoulders and allowed the taller man to hold her waist with his own arm, taking most of her weight onto himself. "Should I even ask what all that was about?" he muttered as they progressed at a much slower pace back to the dragons.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked back.

"Probably not. It's never healthy to get in the middle of a lover's quarrel."

She didn't even bother correcting him on his misperception. What was the point? Even her real lover thought there was something between her and Kougaiji. Anymore arguing, and it would simply be a case of the lady protesting too much. It didn't matter that this lady's protestings were in fact true. Letting out another exhausted sigh, she and Dokugakuji limped their waiting dragons in complete silence.

----------

Hakkai managed a watered down version of his smile at the bickering behind him. He continued stretching their wet clothing out near the room's heating unit, very grateful that it wasn't a back-country town and had the luxury of electricity. Not that it was going to last much longer, he thought dryly as lightening flashed outside and made the lights dim marginally. The rain kicked harder against the side of the building as the wind slashed it about. His eyes flickered from the window to the man sitting so close there was almost no space between him and the glass.

How could Sanzo stand being so close to the rain? Hakkai shivered and looked away before those empty violet eyes caught him staring. For him, the very sight and sound of rain ripped open old wounds, both internal and external, to feel fresh and raw again. He knew the monk had to feel a semblance of that pain, so the masochistic act of watching what brough them both grief had always seemed odd to Hakkai. Perhaps it was a Buddhist principle, face what you loathe and force yourself to remain steady in it's face? He shuddered again, smoothing out Goku's tunic over the heater. That was certainly enough to convince him not to convert.

A particularly ferocious rumble of thunder shook the entire room, causing the glass to vibrate so much that Sanzo finally did edge away a fraction of an inch. The bickering and card game stopped momentarily as both Gojyo and Goku turned to look at the following lightening bolt. Hakkai didn't need to count more than one second before a tremendous white streak zipped from the blackened sky and struck somewhere below. The crack of impact was almost as jarring as the thunder that heralded it.

"Whoa, that was a big one!" Goku exclaimed, eyes glowing brighter in excitement.

"It certainly was impressive," Hakkai commented, rubbing his cold hands together as he moved across the room to the small kitchen area, stopping on the way to grab the small (and very badly abused) tea kettle from his gear. It was just large enough for a small fridge, sink and a two-coil burner, but it was all they would need for the night. Dishes from the dinner the innkeeper's daughter had been kind enough to bring up were now drying in the little wire rack by the sink, the towel folded neatly on the counter. Hakkai filled the kettle with water before setting it on the stove to warm up. "Goku, Gojyo, would you like tea?"

"Naw, thanks," Goku called, eying his cards as if they had teeth.

"Tea?" Gojyo sneered, his lip curling faintly. "I don't do tea, man. You know that."

"Some teas have more caffeine than a cup of coffee, Gojyo."

The red head's eyes snapped around dubiously. "That so?"

Hakkai smiled his answer, setting out two mugs. Sanzo would take some. He probably wouldn't even register that he had it, and most likely wouldn't even taste it, but he'd have some anyway. He went through his bag again until he found the small tea sampling box he'd picked up somewhere around the middle of their journey. It contained fifteen different varieties as well as two ball filters. "So, are you changing your answer?"

"It's not the caffeine. Girls drink that shit, not me," Gojyo replied, placing two cards down and picking up from the pile.

"You've got girlie hair," Goku mocked, chewing on his lower lip. He reached out and picked up a card from the pile.

"Dude, you can't do that," the kappa admonished, flicking ash into an empty beer can by his elbow. Seeing as Sanzo currently held captive the only ash tray in the room, Hakkai couldn't scold him for the improvisation, no matter how badly it made the back of his neck itch just to watch.

"Why can't I? You just did!" Goku hollered back.

"Yeah, but I put two cards down first, you dumbass! You can't go pulling before you drop."

"That's how we play Spoons!"

"Well, this is poker, not Spoons. Discard and then draw!" Gojyo made a scoffing sound in his throat before grinding the butt of his cigarette out. "No wonder you can't win a hand," he added in a muttered tone.

"What was that, pervy-kappa-watersprite?" the boy demanded.

Hakkai tuned out as the two began another round of pointless arguing. He opened the plain, cedar box and stared at the dwindling contents thoughtfully. The jasmine tea was flat out. Both he and Sanzo found the taste of warm potpouri most distasteful. The only reason he kept it was that it worked well as a fabric freshener for when they couldn't get their laundry done regularly. There was a very nice mate vana, but a chocolate aftertaste wasn't best for settling down in the evening. All the green tea and the chamomile were completely gone. Hakkai let out an irritated little sigh as he opted for the mint tea. It was better than the remaining batches for an evening like this. He made a mental note to add tea to their shopping list in the morning.

Another pane-rattling roll of thunder silenced the argument again as Goku turned wide, curious eyes toward the sound. This time, a sheet of lightening lit the darkness, momentarily catching in Sanzo's pale hair by the window and reflecting back like sunlight. "That was a really good one," the boy said with obvious enthusiasm.

"You would be saying differently if we were camped out in it," Hakkai replied as he spooned out enough tea for the filters.

"As soaked as we got, we might as well have," Gojyo added before dropping his cards on the table. "Four of a kind, monkey-boy."

"Hey... wait, time out! How'd you do that?"

"What do you mean, how did I do that? I drew the damn cards, that's how!"

"No way you coulda gotten those cards so fast!"

"Are you calling me a cheater?"

The tea kettle mercifully whistled and Hakkai bent his full attention to the task of pouring the hot water into the two chipped mugs as they continued to debate the symantics of cheating. He didn't feel the need to explain to Goku that bluffing was not the same as cheating, or to add that cheating was when Gojyo had very carefully drawn more cards than he had needed in order to gain the four of a kind he had. Instead, he picked up both mugs and took one over to the brooding monk.

Lightening flickered briefly, unaccompanied by thunder, and illuminated Sanzo's face in the glass like a highly polished mirror. Hakkai paused, frowning when he didn't see the usual empty glare directed at the rain. There was a relaxed nature to that perpetual scowl and an alertness to those haunting purple eyes that suggested Sanzo was more pensive than pessmistic. It didn't take an obscene amount of thought to decipher what was on the monk's mind.

"Are you thinking about those shikigami?" Hakkai asked quietly as he held out a steaming mug. He was, of course, refering to those odd humans they'd faced earlier that day. The ones with the youkai killing fetish.

"You think they were shikigami?" Sanzo questioned back, taking the mug. He started to bring it to his lips before he drew back, eyebrows crowding close over his eyes. He sniffed it, arched a brow and glared out of the corner of his eye at Hakkai. "It's mint."

"It's the closest to chamomile," he replied tightly. He really wasn't in the mood to hear Sanzo complain about their poor tea selection.

"Mint's for toothpaste, not for tea," he muttered even as he took a sip of the offending liquid.

"Then you won't need to brush your teeth in the morning, now will you?"

All he got was a derisive snort.

"So, you don't think they _were_ shikigami?" Hakkai continued, acting as if their little disagreement hadn't occured.

"What do you think?"

It wasn't Sanzo being rude or sarcastic. Hakkai knew that the monk had his own opinion but wanted to hear what he'd concluded before basing his final judgement. Taking a breath and letting it out as he wrapped his freezing hands around the delightfully warm mug, he shrugged and said, "Perhaps, but if so I didn't see a medium of any kind in the corpses." The smirk and faint nod from Sanzo said that he'd clearly noticed the same thing.

"Medium?" Goku piped up, turning his back on Gojyo as the red head lit another cigarette. He also very carelessly tipped his fan of cards down enough for the other man to see what he had. Gojyo let a sly smile cross his face before quickly pretending indifference as the boy turned back around and began the game.

"Well, you know shikigami are controled by one person," Hakkai explained patiently. "A medium is a charm of sorts for that person's thought or will. It's how they control the shikigami and bind it to them."

"Ooooh," Goku said with the tone of someone pretending to understand something they truly didn't.

Gojyo let out an amused chuckle that was laced with greyish smoke. "You dumb ape. You have no idea what he's even talking about!"

"Like you do! An' stop callin' me that!"

"Stupid monkey!"

Hakkai's glance slid over to Sanzo at the sharp grinding of teeth and the suddenly tense shoulders. Oh, dear. He very carefully stepped back two paces so that he was no longer between the irate monk and his soon-to-be victims.

"Lech kappa, roach kappa, rain kappa, kappa roll," Goku shouted back as quickly as he could. Even Hakuryuu lifted his head from Hakkai's pillow and chirped his disbelief at the oddity of those names. Kappa roll was understandable, what with Goku's natural obsession with food. But the others...? The soft click of a gun went unnoticed for a change between the two combatants.

"Tiny monkey, stupid monkey, _bean_ monkey-,"

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

"SHUT THE HELL UP! Those don't even make sense anymore," Sanzo shouted, emptying the rest of his bullets a disturbingly close distance to their heads. "Go to bed NOW!"

Letting out little screeches and cowering as far from the still fuming (and reloading) monk, the two hurried for their beds. "We're going, see? We're going!" Gojyo called, quickly flopping onto one of the beds. Goku's bed, if the shoulder guards hanging from the end post were any indication. Goku paused when he caught the taunting flash in crimson eyes, his jaw working a couple times before a frustrated growl trickled from his throat. Another bullet sent the boy running for Gojyo bed, all the while grumbling about 'thieving damn watersprites'.

"You two have been seriously pushing it recently," Sanzo continued in that too-lethal tone. "I'm not putting up with it this time!"

"Yeah, yeah," Gojyo snarled back, glaring daggers of his own. "We get it, O Holy and Glorious One. How about practicing what you preach?"

Sanzo's teeth were about to chip, they were grinding so hard. The safety clicked again... which was Hakkai's cue to turn the lights off with a pleasant laugh. "Yes, lights out for everyone," he called over the shouts of 'hey', 'you bastard' and 'what the fuck'. The sudden darkness after blinding clarity took even his youkai eye sight time to adjusted, so he could imagine how hard it would be for Sanzo's human eyes. With the lack of sight, and Hakuryuu flying around, he couldn't risk taking a pot shot. If he hit their mode of transportation, their journey west was going to be delayed indefinately. He slowly made his way across the room to his own bed, quickly settling himself into the silence of enforced sleep. He shut his eyes in preparation of the dreams to come with the steadily falling rain. At least the thunder had stopped, though. Slowly, his thoughts became fuzzy and unclear, his mind drifting away to...

"I hope it stops rainin' by morning," Goku whispered into the stillness.

"SHUT UP!" The sound of something whistling through the air followed by a howl of pain was what told Hakkai Sanzo must have thrown the fan at his charge. Miraculously, once the howling was done, the boy stayed quiet again for them to get sleep.

It didn't feel like long that he was asleep, Hakkai thought dismally as his eyes blinked open. The familiar sound silk robes moving made him sit up on one elbow, reaching over the side for his monocle. Once in place, he looked over and saw Sanzo's bed was empty. He sat up completely, swinging his legs over the side. "Sanzo?" he asked softly.

"Get Gojyo up. We've got company," came the equally soft order from Goku's side of the room. A sharp slap of a hand connecting with the back of a hard head followed by fuzzy murmurs told him Goku was awake.

Hakkai quickly pulled on his socks and shoes, swinging his tunic around and lacing it up quickly as he went over to Gojyo. "Gojyo, we've-,"

"I heard," the red head drawled grumpily. "Stupid, goddamned... I was having such a great fucking dream, too. Something about big breasts and mile long legs. I swear to the gods it was that Yaone Kougaiji drags around with him."

Hakkai froze, eyes widening when Gojyo gave him a devilish smirk and a wink. Oh, dear God... He knew. Gojyo knew about it. The red head had no clue what kind of bag he was opening with this.

The only indication that Sanzo acknowledged this was a quick flexing of his fingers into tight fists. Hakkai tried the best he could to warn Gojyo off the game he was playing, but it was a wasted effort. Gojyo would do what Gojyo wanted, and nothing he could say would stop that. He sighed, rubbing his temples lightly. If he continued this line of teasing for very long, there was a good chance Hakkai might actually have to bury his friend. He really didn't want that, but it would be Gojyo's own doing and he wouldn't step in on this matter.

"Man, was that a hot dream," the red head continued as he lazily finished dressing. "Next time we meet up with those guys, I'm gonna have a hard time looking at her without blushing. She was such a friggin' nympho and-,"

"Enough! None of us want to hear your perverted ramblings," Sanzo snapped. Hakkai almost permitted himself a smirk at the confusion on Gojyo's face. Sanzo had responded just as he should have, and just as he would have regardless of who Gojyo was talking about. His completely natural reply caused Gojyo to doubt the validity what he thought he knew. Very good call on the monk's behalf. And now, after this, it would be up to Hakkai to talk reasoning (as well as the value of one's own skin) back into his thick skull.

"So, how many of 'em?" Goku asked, swinging his arms from side to side to loosen his shoulders. All semblance of sleep was now gone, as if he'd been faking the entire time. He hadn't been. Those snores were too real to have been faked.

"I didn't count. Twenty, maybe a few more. They're planning a window raid, as usual."

"You would think after all the 'surprise window attacks' they'd catch on and use the door for a change," Hakkai commented as they all moved for said door.

"Or the chimney," Goku added.

Gojyo scoffed, the eye roll unseen in the darkness as he lit a cigarette. The whole room reeked of smoke, so the newly lit stick wouldn't alert their attackers to them being prepared. "We don't have a fucking chimney, chimp!"

"I know," the chimp in question stated with annoyance. "I was just sayin' that if we did, they could try comin' down it for a change."

"Shut up, they're coming," Sanzo hissed, pulling his gun from his robe and waiting just outside the closed door.

Immediately, all of them fell silent. Hakkai rotated his neck and let the quiet popping move down his spine to relax his nerves a little. Goku bounced lightly on the balls of his feet beside him while Gojyo carefully unwound a small bit of chain into his hand. Sanzo, as always, remained perfectly still, the only indication he was ready for a fight being the slight increase in his breathing and heart. Glass shattered and triumphant sneers moved through the room. Sanzo caught his gaze and rolled his eyes before mouthing, "Morons." Hakkai smiled back.

Slowly, the monk pushed the door open, the sound unnoticed as six youkai began moving through the room. Six? That was all they'd sent? Hakkai glanced at Sanzo out of the corner of his eye and frowned. Perhaps he needed to have his vision rechecked in the morning. Six youkai most definately did not add up to twenty or so.

"Even Sanzo and his team can't stand up to us," one of the youkai practically giggled as he lifted his knife over what would have been Sanzo's bed.

"Really?" Gojyo drawled loud enough for them all to hear. Heads snapped around and a few gasps of surprise were yanked from throats. Wide eyes flew from the rumpled beds to where they all stood, waiting. "Sounds like you guys kick ass."

"Wh-What? How did you... When...?"

Sanzo's lip twisted in disdain. "Pathetic that those will be your last words."

The one who had proclaimed their strength so boldly was now sweating bullets. He would be tasting them for real soon enough, Hakkai could imagine. "S-Sanzo? Wait, no..."

"That's some poor judgement you've got there," the monk continued, shielding the flame of his lighter as he casually sucked down some nicotine.

Hakkai smiled, cracking his knuckles loudly. Goku made a little 'ew' under his breath at the sound, but the effect on the enemy was even better. All six of them took a collective step back, and all because he simply cracked his joints. "You probably thought you could hide yourselves in this storm, correct?" he questioned, the tone one of polite conversation, not of impending death. A couple started quaking by the broken window. Rain was already puddling onto the floor without the glass barrier there. Sanzo's bed was completely soaking wet, and his wasn't going to be much better either. Wonderful.

"Sucks to be you," Goku declared before letting out a wild growl and taking out the two closest to their group.

"Get that sutra!" The apparent leader roared, pointing dramatically in their direction.

"Gyumaoh's assassins, as they should be," Sanzo muttered, still leaning against the door frame casually as Gojyo entered the mix.

"Do you want to show a little mercy to them then?" Hakkai teased.

The sneer he got was answer enough. "Quit fucking around, Hakkai. You're getting as bad as those two."

"My apologies." He caught the fist rushing toward his face easily, twisting the arm back with a sickening pop before riding the screaming youkai to the ground, a chi ball already forming in his other hand. Another youkai fell to the ground and was pinned in place when a crescent blade dropped around his neck. It didn't cut into him, but the blade was close enough that if he moved, he was dead.

"You broke the window, sweetheart. How are you gonna pay for that?" Gojyo demanded mockingly, digging his boot into the face of the leader roughly. A thin trickling of blood began to ooze around the blade.

"Y-You're a curse," the man managed to get out around Gojyo's heavy boot.

"Hey, what's goin' on down there," Goku shouted, leaning over the window's edge.

"Goku!" Hakkai quickly finished off his assassin and ran to Goku's side, pulling the boy back just a little. "Please, be careful. There's broken glass everywhere."

"But look, Hakkai! What's all that?"

Hakkai followed Goku's pointed finger, his eyes slowly widening as the sound finally came over that of the storm. Screaming. Calls for help. Cruel laughter. Humans went running down the street in the rain, casting terrified looks over their shoulder as more than fifty youkai gave chase. Dear God... that's where the others went.

"Still think you're hot shit? You guys don't think about anyone but yourselves," the sole remaining assassin in their room declared with bravado. He hissed as Gojyo dug his boot in harder.

"Shut the fuck up, dickwad," the red head snarled.

Sanzo joined them briefly at the window, the shock evident on his face for only a few seconds before it disolved into barely controled rage.

"You guys aren't the only ones we're after. There's some nice lookin' human whores down there we wanted as well. Some heroes you are!" The words faded on the end of a frightened sob as a bullet slid into the chamber. Hakkai tore his gaze from the slaughter below to see Gojyo had moved away from the youkai and Sanzo now held him pinned to the floor with his gun held execution style to the man's temple.

"Shut up and die," he growled before pulling the trigger. Blood exploded everywhere, sending larger chunks of wet bone and greyish brain across the floor.

"Damn, that's messy," Gojyo muttered. "All that brain and he didn't even use it."

The inn shook as it's doors were ripped from the hinges. Screams erupted from inside and soon humans were making a mad dash to escape, youkai right on their tails. Hakkai returned to the window just as Goku was jumping out of it. "Goku!"

"C'mon, uglies! You want me, come an' get me," the boy shouted, his voice easily carrying over the noise. He was running with a speed that was very close to his Seitan Taisen form, which had Hakkai worried. Was the boy losing it?

"Hakkai, get after him!" Sanzo shouted as he sprinted out the door, Gojyo at his heels. Hakkai didn't need further encouraging, he was already half way out the window. He hit the ground hard, rolling to the side to avoid the sword that would have taken his head clean off. A blast of chi later and the youkai was dead and gone.

"Goku?" he called, trying to find where the boy had gotten to in the mass confusion and hysteria. He spun around, caught a wrist with another sword and slammed a handful of chi through the youkai's chest. The body fell with a neat hole about four inches in diameter through his chest.

A shrill whistle and a, "Yo, 'Kai!" got his attention. Gun shots were firing in rapid succession. It sounded like Sanzo was having a field day. As he ran closer to the sound, the wind kicked up and blew the smells of blood, death and gun use to his nose. He frowned as the last invaded his senses. There were two different guns in use. Sanzo's cleaning oil always had an oily citrus smell to it. This second one was more pine like than that. Two banishing guns?

He finally drew up even with the other two and saw what had them standing to the side with dumbfounded expressions. It was a man. A very big man. With two equally large guns. "Good lord, he's enormous!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah," Gojyo added. Goku's eyes had gone as wide as dinner plates and bore the expression of extreme worship he normally reserved for food or Sanzo.

"Woooow... He's big! An' fast! An' awesome! Didja SEE what he just did? Wow!"

"For the luva... Goku's gone fanboy on us," Gojyo teased. His remark went unnoticed as the boy continued to positivel salivate over the man who was almost twice his height.

Sanzo joined them as the giant finished off the last of the youkai, an expression of arrogant outrage gracing his fingers. "You lazy bastards," he griped. "I get stuck cleaning up the mess back there, and here you three are standing around like complete idiots! What the hell's going on- Oh." Hakkai had nodded toward the man as he reloaded his guns before tucking them back in the shoulder holsters under his vest.

"He didn't miss a mark, Sanzo," Hakkai commented quietly. The speed of not only firing but reloading and taking aim was inhuman. Sanzo was fast, but not even he was this fast. Out of roughly twenty-five youkai bodies, twenty of them were direct head shots perfectly centered on the forehead. That bordered on professional hitman status.

A pleasant laugh came from off to one side and made them all look over at the smaller man picking his way through the carnage to the empty space by the big man. "That's quite a catch there, Gat," he exclaimed, his voice carrying a heavy, drawling accent that was completely foreign. It was a lazy type of accent that was not only pleasant but homey sounding as well. "I reckon we shouldn't go wastin' it."

Sanzo's sharp intake of breath made Hakkai glance over at the monk as the smaller man lifted something on a chain at his neck. Soon after, Hakkai felt what had Sanzo so stiff and ill at ease. Power. A great deal of power being unleashed. It throbbed along his skin and danced that thin line between feeling good and hurting worse than anything he could have imagined. That power pulled at something inside him, as if trying to draw himself out of his own body. White mist began to rise from the bodies of the dead youkai, swirling together before moving toward the pendant the other man was holding. What in the world was this? It ws obvious from the mixture of surprise and suspicion that Sanzo was equally blank over what this power was. What was he doing?

"Look out!" Goku shouted as a blur of speed suddenly sprang from the bodies. It was too late, the youkai's sword was already coming down toward the man with the pendant. In a lightening fast move that he normally would have said was impossible for a man of his size, the giant got between the deadly blade and the other man. Hakkai flinched at the sound of metal meeting flesh, expecting at any minute to hear a scream of pain and see a limb twitching on the dirt ground.

No scream came. More shocking that that, no blood either. Hakkai couldn't hold back the gasp of surprise at this, Gojyo's muttered, "What the fuck?" completely unnoticed in his shock. No blood? That was impossible! His arm was lying four feet from his body, and there wasn't a drop of blood?

A moment later, and the youkai screaming as a gigantic hand crushed his skull into a bloody pulp broke through the numbed shock of their little group. Such monstrous strength and speed! This surely couldn't be a human. Hakkai didn't sense any youkai energy coming from him, but perhaps on of those beads or feathers in the thick sections of hair was a limiter?

"Damn, looks like our party just got crashed," Gojyo commented, his cigarette hanging unattended from his lips.

Reality slowly started coming back around them. Wailing screams of newly widowed women, children crying for dead parents to wake up, pained groans and other sounds of misery began to fill the rain soaked night. Hakkai closed his eyes, his hand pressing over his stomach as those sounds mingled with the ones in his head. He was being taken back there again... no, he wasn't. He was here and now...

A warm hand gripped his and made him open his eyes. Concerned crimson orbs looked back from a curtain of drenching wet hair. "You okay?" Gojyo asked softly.

"I'm fine, Gojyo. Please, bring the injured here, and do be careful about it."

"Got it. Come on, Goku!" The two began making the rounds of the town while Hakkai ran his fingers through his hair and looked at the carnage surrounding them. Where to even start? A faint groan from the alley behind him drove him. The man was holding his thigh as if it were about to fall off.

"Let me see, sir," Hakkai instructed softly as he pried blood soaked hands away from the gaping wound. Blood flowed with the rapid pulse of the man's heart, spilling to the dirt beneath them. The slice was deep and had gone easily through the fatty tissue and right to the femoral artery. Not good. Hakkai summoned a bit of chi and forced it gently into the man's body, using it to search for the tear in the artery and repair the flesh. The man's breathing began to slow down as he realized Hakkai was trying to help him and the blood flow lessoned with the steadying of his heart. It was straining on the mind and body to keep the chi controled and focused on healing instead of destroying. Destruction was so much easier to achieve, and it had taken him several months and more headaches than he cared to have ever again to finally understand the art of chi healing. He adjusted the flow of energy ever so slightly, trying to sort through the damage and find the femoral artery. It should be somewhere around here. Just a little further to the left and... there!

He sat back and wiped a shakey hand across his brow as he looked at the pink of new flesh where once there had been a gaping wound. "That should do it," he murmured, looking around as Goku and Gojyo came carrying another man with an open chest wound. The man he'd healed thanked him profusely before running out to bring more victims to him.

Gojyo and Goku suddenly stopped, dropping the jerking body to the ground. Hakkai's eyes narrowed as he watched the man go into convulsions, blood streaming steadily from his mouth. He didn't need to check to know the man was in his death throes. Probably a nick in the lung that had filled with blood, thus explaining the wash of red oozing from his widened mouth. Sanzo shifted from where he was leaning against the building, eyes also narrowed and watching as the two struggled to contain the jerking limbs.

"Sanzo, can ya help us over here?" Goku hollered.

Sanzo stubbed out his cigarette and began to move toward them. "There's not much to do for a dead man," he muttered. Hakkai knew it wasn't callousness on the monk's part. He was simply stating fact. The man gave a final twitch of his arm before a gurgling sound bubbled the last vestige of blood from his throat. He'd literally drowned in his own fluids.

"Father!" The scream had everything in it of a broken heart as the girl from the inn came rushing over to the now still man. Hakkai looked away, unwilling to see the grief he knew too well on her face. He knew it was pointless to ask, but he did anyway out of habit; Why, God? Why were these people made to suffer and die? He couldn't understand or accept a God that sat back and allowed His creations to wail in misery and despair. If there was a lesson to be learned here, there were better ways of teaching it.

"Aw, dry your tears, little lady," a soothing voice said through the frantic sobs. Hakkai slowly looked up from the ground, eyes narrowed and glittering. Just let the girl cry, he wanted to shout back. Let her cry and grieve for her father. Don't silence her voice with false words of comfort. There's nothing that can be done now except to grieve.

The smaller man from before, the one with the pendant, smiled kindly to her as he knelt at her side. His fingers came to the gold symbol on it's chain with an almost reverant touch before pulling away from it slowly. A thin white strand of the mist he'd gathered from the dead youkai followed his fingers as he moved them directly over the dead man in her lap. The light grew brighter and brighter until it was a choice between shielding the eyes or going completely blind. Hakkai threw his arm up, wincing as that light touched on him briefly. It was cold, like walking out in a t-shirt and light pants during a blizzard. He hadn't expected a light that looked so calming to be so... frigid.

The light began to fade out, returning to it's source until the darkness took it's rightful place in the world once again. A hoarse, masculine groan made Hakkai's body snap tight with tension. No... He lowered his arm slowly and fought the tremor that threatened to take his entire jaw off with it. There was no way...

The man was sitting up and holding his daughter who was near passing out from the shock.

He was dead.

No, he was alive and sitting up.

Hakkai shook his head and blinked to make sure he wasn't seeing things. The murmur of the townsfolk reaffirmed that he was not, as he feared, losing his mind. The man, the one who had been very dead, was now very much alive. Impossible!

"No way! He just brought that man back to life," Goku squeaked, swallowing heavily before his jaw dropped open again.

"What?" Gojyo yelped. "You gotta be shitting me?"

The word 'miracle' was starting to become intermingled with the growing volume of voices surrounding their area. Three more injured people were lined up for him to heal, but all Hakkai was capable of doing was to gape at the man in the long blue coat. How exacty did he do that? Was it a scam to win over the town folk? Or was he perhaps a youkai after all?

Letting out a pleased little sigh, pale blue eyes searched and found his, locking and holding. Hakkai shivered under that gaze. There was something in that near friendly look he didn't quite like, but what it was he couldn't pin point specifically. All he knew was that he'd rather face murderous violet than warm blue any day. "You, sir, the one with the funny lookin' spectacles," he called. It lacked the imperious ring that Sanzo's command would have had, but it still demanded immediate attention. Who was this man? "If you're a healer, kindly tend to the injured."

Hakkai cleared his throat, swallowed and still he couldn't get the words to form exactly as he wanted. "Well, yes... but..."

"Just leave the dead to little ol' me," he added with a confident smile. "Gat, shall we?" The big man stood, carrying the lobbed off (and still unbleeding) limb to follow obediantly after the whipping blue coat.

Hakkai jumped at the tap on his shoulder from a woman holding her teenage son's intestines in place. Letting out a long breath of air to steady his nerves and hands, he returned to the work of a healer. The people were beginning to line up down the block now, which meant he was going to have a very busy, exhausting night. "Gojyo, please see if it's possible to procure some coffee," he said softly. The mystery of the man with the pendant would have to wait until his job was done.

"Yeah... sure," Gojyo replied absently before heading out on his quest.

Goku came over to help when a particularly rough man began to bellow and buck around belligerantly. Hakkai wiped the sweat from his brow and allowed the boy to take over pinning the meaty shoulders easily to the ground. "Are you okay, Hakkai? You're lookin' awfully pale."

"I'm fine, Goku," he replied as he quickly pulled energy into himself to distrubute into the violently cussing man.

"Is it cuz of that guy? I mean, that's some power he's got, huh? An' that other guy! He was soooo big, an' he had muscles! Even his muscles had muscles!"

Hakkai smiled patiently before very narrowly avoiding a wildly swung punch. "Goku, please focus. It really won't do anyone much good if I get knocked unconscious before we're all done."

"Sorry, Hakkai!" Goku quickly slammed the man's wrists down to the ground again, carefully keeping clear of gnashing teeth.

"I don't need no damned healin' voodoo!" the man snarled. "I don't want no hocus pokus!"

"Shut it, Kale," another man shouted back. "Just be grateful for what you're gettin'! It's a damned miracle these folks were here, that's all."

Growling wordlessly as Hakkai worked quickly and as efficiently as he could, Kale finally stopped struggling enough for the job to be completed. Another person was brought to him, followed by another and another. Soon after that, everything just became a blur of injured upon injured. Hakkai looked wearily down the line that seemed to grow by the minute and began to wonder if Gojyo had gotten lost with the coffee. He rubbed his eyes and looked around before spotting Sanzo standing to one side, his entire attention bent on whatever was going on further down the crowded main street. "Sanzo, perhaps you might- Sanzo?"

The monk walked off as if he hadn't even heard Hakkai, his arms crossed over his chest and a thoughtful scowl to his lips. Hakkai leaned over to peer around Goku's back at what had the monk's undivided attention... and promptly lost his balance to spill over across the ground. He groaned, shutting his eyes as the sudden movement kicked the headache he'd been fighting for almost two hours into full gear and made his eyes burn with the pain. "Ow," he groaned, pressing the heels of his hands so hard against his eyes that white spots ate through the throbbing darkness.

"Hakkai? Hakkai!" There was the splash of something liquid hitting the ground and Hakkai had a moment to hope that wasn't the coffee he desperately needed to keep the weariness at bey. The scent of Gojyo's cigarettes as well as the strong, wamr hands hefting him into a sitting position made him squint at the obviously worried red-head. He managed a quick smile as he tried to disentangle himself from his friend's supportive embrace.

"I'm fine, Gojyo-,"

"You're lying. Dude, you practically fainted just a couple seconds ago!"

"I swear to you I wasn't fainting."

"Hakkai," Goku interupted, his voice filled with panic. Golden eyes registered his fear more clearly than any words could have. "This one's bleedin' a lot!"

Hakkai took a breath, held it and let it out slowly before pushing to his feet. The sudden rush of blood made him sway a little, but he waved off any help from Gojyo. "Is there any coffee left by chance?" he asked with a fals sense of hope.

Gojyo's face instantly screwed itself up into a look of self-annoyance. "Fuuuuck! Sorry, Hakkai."

Nodding his understanding and forgiveness, Hakkai grit his teeth and returned to the exhausting task at hand. One by one, the victims were brought to him and he'd heal their wounds. Words of thanks and gratitude were quickly uttered before the next one was brought. The process was repeated over the course of... God, he'd lost track of how many hours he'd been at it! He had to fight to keep his eyes from closing permanently, and the headache was enough that he almost wished he was dead. Finally, after everything, the words he'd been eager to hear were spoken.

"Last one, Hakkai," Gojyo announced triumphantly, kneeling so that he blocked the dawning light from blinding his friend.

"Oh?" Hakkai murmured, looking at the woman stretched on the ground before him with one of her hands pressed over four rows of gash marks bleeding down her arm. They weren't particularly life threatening, but they certainly were deep enough to either require chi or stitches. Slowly, and with a great deal of added mental effort on his part so he didn't mess it up, he placed his hand over each wound, letting the chi wind it's way down into ripped tissue and muscles, knitting them all back together nicely before he moved on to the next, and the next.

The woman cried tears of joy when she saw thin, barely noticeable scars where once there had been gushing cuts. She grabbed his hand and pressed a quick thank-you kiss to it before running off to see what the man with the pendant was doing.

Goku flopped to the ground, head thunking back against a building as he closed his eyes. "That was crazy rough," the boy declared loudly. "I don't know of I'm super hungry or just super sleepy!"

"Amen to that," Gojyo added as he lit a cigarette. "That was some heavy duty healing you did there, 'Kai."

Hakkai blinked, barely able to keep his eyes open to see all six Gojyos moving around him. He'd said something about healing... "Are there still more?" He couldn't tell at this point if he'd asked it out loud or if the question remained in his depleted mind.

"Nope, she was the last," the red head replied with a grin. That grin, which was identicle on all six faces, quickly turned to a frown of concern as Hakkai felt himself sway on his knees. "Hakkai?"

"Gojyo, I think I'm ready for that help now." Hakkai fell forward and gratefully let the darkness suck him down.


	36. Chapter 36

Sanzo remained seated at the table with his newspaper and refused to look out the window as all the adorations wafted up. He was beyond thrilled that praise and pleadings were being flung at another's feet and not his own. He adjusted his glasses and flipped the page, skipping the entire section regarding the prior night's fight and miracles.

Miracles... yeah, okay. He'd watched that man all night long, and he was pretty certain there was nothing miraculous about what had happened. What it was, he couldn't tell for sure, but it wasn't anything different than the power of a sutra or tantra. Still, bringing people back from the dead... There had to be consequences for disrupting a balance like that. That was how things of that nature worked. You kill someone. Someone comes to kill you in return. Simple as that.

_Too bad other things weren't as easy_, he thought bitterly, setting the coffee mug down a little harder than necessary. He cast a quick glance over at the bed where Hakkai was stretched out as the man moaned, fingers curling into the bedspread as if in protest. A steaming wet cloth was draped over his eyes and had some kind of cucumber smelling oil rubbed over it. It was supposed to be soothing for a headache, but all it really did was smell the entire room up. Goku had been very disappointed to discover there weren't really any cucumbers folded between the layers. That led to the boy sulking across from him at the table.

Back to things that weren't so easy though... First and foremost (for him personally) was what the hell to do about Yaone. He knew it shouldn't have been very high on his priority list at the moment, but he couldn't seem to keep his thoughts from wandering in that direction. The best cure for an itch was to scratch at it so... here he was scratching away and relief was still laughing at his back. He hated being like this, unsure of what to do or what he was even thinking at the moment. It was a damned nuisance and not at all like him. What the hell had she done to him to get him like this?

For that alone, he should cut her loose. He didn't like how she was so firmly hooked under his skin. It was driving him mad when he couldn't even read the goddamn newspaper without flashing back on something that had happened. Both good and bad, he couldn't get it out of his system. He sucked down a healthy amount of nicotine and held it for as long as he could before the need for fresh hair burned his lungs. He flipped the page in the newspaper and ignored the sudoku puzzle completely. No way was he doing it right now. It was always best first thing in the morning, with a fresh cup of coffee and warm arms...

Fuck it, there he went again! Sanzo snarled around his smoke and sank a little lower in his chair so he could honestly say he didn't see the curious frown on Gojyo's face. He didn't need to deal with the kappa's bullshit right now. There was enough of that on his plate spread around and wallow in for a life time. First of all, how in the name of all that was holy had he gotten himself into this? When did everything go from simple conversation to dating to being a couple and now to... whatever the hell they currently were? He didn't need her. He didn't need what they had. It wasn't necessary to his everyday life.

But he wanted it.

Sanzo finally stopped trying to read the paper and just used it as an excuse to allow him free time for puzzling out this thing. Shit, did he ever want it. If he had to wake up one more goddamn morning looking at those four faces, he was going to do some serious feature rearranging. He wanted to wake up with long hair stuck in his mouth. He wanted to find his pillow missing and more than half the covers wrapped in a tight coccoon around the culprit. Hell, he just wanted to see her again and get this shit over with as quickly as possible so they could go back exactly as things had been before.

But what if they couldn't do that? He had pretty good suspicions she'd turned over their location back in Peeraj. He'd never fully trusted her to begin with, and that was a problem in itself. What kind of relationship were they supposed to have if he couldn't relax around her enough to enjoy it? Forget the whole killing each other issue, that was already accepted and shoved aside with the other useless crap. In the privacy of whatever inn they were staying at, they weren't enemies but he couldn't trust her like most lovers were supposed to do. It wasn't that he didn't want to, it just wasn't in his nature to trust someone like that. He didn't even trust Goku completely. He'd had that trust ripped up and shoved down the toilet too many times for him to readily give it out again.

So, there was the Peeraj incident. There was also this thing with Kougaiji. He knew what she claimed. She denied it fiercely, but what evidence did he have to suggest otherwise? It had been obvious from the start of everything that there was a little more between those two than lord and servant. That Yaone had loved Kougaiji at one point in time he didn't doubt for the world. It wasn't until recently though that he'd started to pick up on how Kougaiji felt toward her. Even crazed, he'd given her softer glares than anyone else. He was quick to come to her aid, which was very untypical of any noble. Sanzo was beginning to suspect all those 'special projects' she'd been working on were contrived by the man to keep her in Houtu Castle and to himself. Bastard. If that was the case, the next time he saw Kougaiji he was aiming below the waist. That should solve any romantic issues right there.

What reason other than Yaone returning that affection would have caused the princeto be more expressive? As much as it pissed him off, he couldn't deny the nagging little voice on this matter. She was always talking about him, which meant he was constantly on her mind. There was also Peeraj to consider in this. He wanted to believe that she hadn't disclosed their whereabouts, but Kougaiji had a very strong grasp on her loyalties, and now it was looking as if that same grasp extended to her feelings as well. What was to say he didn't fuck the location out of her? His fingers tightened around the newspaper so hard the edges crinkled and finally tore under his grip. Damn, he really needed to make someone go 'ouch' now. Unfortunately, everyone was behaving themselves, so he was left alone with his unhappy musings.

Which led him right back where he'd started; what the hell was he going to do about this? He wasn't happy with the way things were going, and the only way to effect change was to start it yourself. So how did he go about doing that? He wasn't about to lose her to some youkai royal with a really bad mullet. He needed to show her somehow he was still in this, but he also needed to find out once and for all what it was with her and Kougaiji. _One problem at a time_, he reminded himself.

First problem: How to fix things. He wasn't apologizing, not on his life. It was a reasonable assumption and therefore didn't require an apology. He remembered Gojyo saying something about women getting soft over gifts. Okay... so what could he get her? No flowers. He was NOT buying flowers, or chocolates for that matter. Sanzo shivered at the very idea of having to shop for those items. If she wanted those, he'd give her the card and send her out on her own. No way was he parading through the streets with a bouquet of flowers! Jewelry couldn't be done, even if he was so inclined and she the type to wear it. Anything like that would be noticed as new and questioned as to where she aquired it. Sanzo took another hit and let it out on a huff. Maybe he'd talk to Hakkai about it when he was done being dead to the world. Hakkai was good about things like that. Or maybe he wouldn't get her anything. That idea was definately more appealing but it didn't solve the problem of how to fix their near-breaking relationship. Huffing, he shoved that quandry aside in favor of another one. He'd think about that one later.

Okay, so moving on to the second problem: How to resolve this Kougaiji issue. If he flat out asked her, he had no doubt she'd tell him, but it would piss her off something fierce and he'd run the risk of another brutal argument. Ignoring it was simply not possible. That was like throwing a table cloth over an elephant and pretending it wasn't there. He needed to bring it up carefully, see how she reacted to it before pushing the conversation further. Hopefully, knowing how she was, she would save him the trouble and broach the subject on her own. That was one thing he was particularly grateful to her for. With only a little prying on his end, she'd tell him what he wanted to know. Too bad the same was true for Kougaiji. The bastard... he couldn't say that enough in regards to the prince. How dare the man try to take Yaone from him! Even if he wasn't aware of who he was dealing with, it had to be obvious by now she was seeing someone. What the hell kind of man moved in on a taken woman? What, he couldn't find a nice, simple-minded, UNATTACHED female to fling his affections at?

Then again, what if his actions were encouraged? The very idea that Yaone was purposely seeing someone other than himself made him burn with rage. This was a perfect example of why relationships needed to be avoided like the plague. He never had any doubts about any of his actions until she came along and somehow managed to make herself at home in his life. He should end it. Regardless of what she had to say about Kougaiji, he should end it. This was only going to get more complicated and more frustrating the longer it lasted.

This was all fine and good... except he didn't _want_ to end it. It was an unexpected twist to his plans, and the gods knew it gave him a fucking migrain faster than being locked in a room with Goku and Gojyo, but if it meant letting Yaone go... Not a chance in hell. Things were rough at the moment, that was all. If everything went smoothly and without a hitch, it would be boring. What would be the point of a boring relationship? Conflict that didn't kill you would only make you stronger.

"Man, that's one way to get superhero status over night," Gojyo commented enviously from the window. Sanzo flicked the paper down enough to glare at the man's back before returning to the business section with no hopes of actually reading it. Now that his attention was broken, he could hear the worshipful comments and praise for that man with the pendant clearly.

And speaking of which... there was the other problem for him to consider. He'd witnessed first hand last night what had happened. The man had used some kind of power and brought the dead back to life. That wasn't natural. Whatever the man's motives were, whether of a noble nature or for some unseen purpose, that power hadn't felt right at all. It had left his skin feeling cold and as if he'd stood in a freezing rain for a good hour. He didn't give a shit what those villagers claimed, what happened last not was no miracle.

He lowered the paper completely as Goku's chair scraped back and the boy ran to check on Hakkai's towels. "You okay, Hakkai?" the boy asked softly. He peered at the dark-haired man as if he knew what the hell he was doing. Sanzo shook his head a little and took a hit. Typical monkey, annoying enough to deserve a smack yet genuinely concerned enough that he couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd blame his restraint on the fact that the kid didn't have much brain matter to start with and hitting it now would only be a wasted effort. He could wait until Goku did something terrifically stupid and then... A slow, slight curve of his lips came with that little scenario. That would certainly cure his need for violence.

"Hn... Oh, sure." Hakkai hissed lightly as Goku pulled the cooling cloth from his eyes and dropped it into the steaming basin by his bed. He picked up a spare, wrang it out and folded it over the other man's eyes again. "Ah, thank you," he groaned in relief. 'I'm sorry about this, everyone. If it's too much of an inconveniance-,"

"It's to be expected when you use your chi all night in the rain," Sanzo interupted as he flicked ash neatly into the tray by his elbow. He didn't want to here crap about leaving the only sane and tolerable person in their group behind just to make up time. If it was Gojyo on that bed, they'd be packed and out the door already. Hakkai was a decent guy. He'd cut him a little slack this once. "You passed out."

Hakkai let out a small chuckle at that. "It couldn't be helped though, Sanzo. Those people were left for me to care for."

"Big surprise, it was an ego thing that made you do it," Gojyo called from where he stood, his voice carrying usual sarcasm to it. The twitching frown to the kappa's lips stated he was still very nervous about his friend, though. The fool... Hakkai was fine. He just strained himself a little, that was all. Sanzo ignored the nervous red head by the window and continued to smoke and drink his coffee in silence. If he wanted to worry himself into a coma, that was fine by him.

"I don't get how it all works, but I'm glad those people came back to life," Goku added with a wide grin. His eyes were round and all kinds of shiny. Shit... the kid had found something other than meatbuns to drool over. He was never going to hear the end of this now! "I mean, they were really, really _dead_! An' all of a sudden, they're not!" The boy sighed with a wistful expression on his face. '"That's be a really cool power to have."

"It'd be a pain in the ass," Sanzo muttered.

"Everything's a pain in the ass to you," Gojyo fired back. "I'm starting to think you like having a pain-,"

Sanzo set the banishing gun on the table with a loud thunk. That was the only warning he felt like giving today and, mercifully, the kappa picked up on the threat and didn't finish his expected joke.

"So, uh... about that guy," Gojyo quickly amended, taking a step closer to Hakkai and away from the brooding monk. Sanzo used the opportunity of lighting a cigarette to hide the smirk at the action. As if Hakkai was well enough to save Gojyo's dumb ass if he decided to shoot for real. Hakkai could barely move himself, forget summoning chi. "What kinda guy can just go around and-"

All eyes, including the one Hakkai uncovered briefly before dropping the cloth back in place, turned toward the 'shave and a hair cut' knock someone gave to their door. Sanzo's teeth ground together as he thought briefly about emptying his gun into the wood. Why did people seem to find it so amusing to wrap that ridiculous ditty on a door? He didn't have time to consider this long as the door opened without permission.

"Apologies for interuptin', but that was some mighty fine work y'all did last night," a cheerful, heavily accented voice called. Gods, the one thing even more annoying than that knock... an overly happy person. The men from last night came swooping right into their room as if they were the ones paying the bill. The smaller one took off his odd hat and flashed a dazzling smile around the room in general. "I hope we're not interuptin' anything?"

"What do you want?" Sanzo demanded, not at all impressed by the perfectly white teeth or what most would have considered a charming demeanor. Teeth could easily be knocked out, and a charming demeanor was usually a front. He wasn't being pessmistic, just practical.

"Well," the man drawled with an embarassed pink flushing his pale cheeks. The innocent act was very quickly wearing thin on his nerves. "I came to see how you're healer friend was doin'." He leaned over far enough to see Hakkai, now sitting up, from around Sanzo's shoulder. The wattage on that already bright smile turned up several notches as he continued to speak. Gods, any more and they'd all need to wear sunglasses around this guy. "It seems I've caused you to overstrain yourself. I do apologise for that, sir, that was awful perverse of me."

Bad choice of wording for their group, he thought dryly. Gojyo's snapped, "What?" told him Goku was indeed being predictable and trying to figure out how this man was perverse when the kappa was the perfect example of the word. Idiots. All of them, just... idiots.

Thankfully, Hakkai gave a light chuckle to ease the tension starting to mount between the two and replied, "I'm fine, thank you for inquiring. It usually doesn't take me very long to recover and... is there something wrong?"

Sanzo felt wide blue eyes on him and ignored them as best as he could. His patience was almost at an end with their unwelcomed, and uninvited, guests. The last thing he needed- wait, was the guy actually looking him up and down? Shit... He was being checked out now? Great, just fucking lovely... He finally managed to capture those blue eyes and glared hard back at them. Usually that worked very well to deter the perverts from even thinking about hitting on him. He could only hope it worked here. "What?" he asked coldly.

The man's smile returned with another embarassed little chuckle. "Just admirin' your clothes, sir. I was wonderin'... might you be a holy man, by chance? Those are priest robes ya got there, am I right? My goodness, what a fine exotic flare! Don't see much of this back home."

The hand reaching to touch the sutra draped over his shoulders was quickly slapped away. "Hands off!" Then tension level in the room shifted drastically. The big body guard at his back took a slight step forward, which prompted Goku to do the same behind him. Not that he needed the boy to protect him or anything.

That dazzling smile faded just a touch before returning, if possible, even brighter than before. "Why, I do apologize, sir, if I offended you. It's just everything in these parts are so very foreign, you see. It's not everyday a fella gets to meet an honest-to-God holy man! You _are_ a holy man, correct?"

Gojyo and Goku snickered behind his back, earning them a glare tossed over his shoulder. That's right, keep giggling like school girls. It would only make the pain he'd undoubtedly inflict on them later that much sweeter. "I'm the one with questions, kiss-ass," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest to keep himself restrained at the present.

"Yeah, like who the hell are you?" Gojyo asked, still with an edge of amusement to his tone.

"An' how'd you do that glowy, bring-'em-back-alive stuff? An' how big IS that guy behind ya anyway?" Goku piped up, dragging a chair around backward to sit in. The eagerness on his face was the same as if Hakkai told him he was making a feast for him and him alone. It was nauseating to say the least.

"Mercy! One at a time, if you please," the man laughed pleasantly. The big man's only movement, besides that one step, was to raise a brow slightly at the amount of enthusiasm in the room. Wow, he was a real pleasant one. Good conversationalist, too.

"Then answer the question I asked first; what do you want?" Sanzo cut in sharply. That bitingly cold power was moving through the room, not yet sharp enough that it was anything more than a slight chill to the skin but it had the potential to grow stronger. Right now, it felt more like it was searching the room's occupants. Searching for what though?

"That's an easy one," the man said, all traces of his laughter gone. The eyes which had glowed with a friendliness now shifted to a more serious, calculated look that was directed strictly at Sanzo. Sanzo met it and refused to look away or blink. At last he saw the true face behind the amiable mask. This man wasn't nearly as good at holding the facade in tact as Hakkai. The blue eyes were cold, shrewd and spoke of an intelligence that the lazy charm had initially hidden. This wasn't someone to fuck with. "Gat here and I are from the other side of the ocean. Well, the other side of the world, actually. We came over here to save these people from those rampagin' youkai." A little laugh and shrug of shoulders and that honesty was buried away again. "Simple as that, really."

"Well, good for you," Gojyo patronized mockingly. He flicked his hair over his shoulder and dug around in his back pocket for a lighter.

"It wouldn't do us any harm to learn from their example," Hakkai added with that quiet, chastizing voice he normally reserved for when the rest of them were being corrupt or particularly rude at the dinner table.

"Nah, I don't look good in superhero tights," the red head replied with a flippant little smirk.

"Can it," Sanzo snarled, tossing a glare at the others as the blue eyed man covered his chuckle with a gloved hand.

Goku edged his chair just a little closer, his tongue licking his lower lip as he hung on every sound the man made as if it were candy. "So, you guys are from far away, huh? What's it like? An' can everyone make dead people alive again where you're from?"

"Oh, heavens no!" the man replied. "I'm what you might call a unique sorta fella. And, besides, it's not exactly makin' 'em alive again. It's more like... a transfer. Yes, that about explains it right. It's a transfer."

"A transfer of what, may I ask?" Hakkai asked. His voice had gone quiet again, this time taking on that steely tone which meant he had an idea of the answer and didn't like it one bit.

"Of souls, a'course. I temporarily collect the souls of dead youkai and use 'em to revive people."

Goku's eyes got impossibly round as he suddenly lunged across the table. Sanzo had to jump back or risk having coffee slosh onto his robes as a flailing chicken leg knocked into his mug. "You little-,"

"How 'bout this drumstick? Can ya bring that back?" the boy demanded eagerly.

Gojyo clapped a hand on his shoulder, an amused smirk to his lips. "Leave it dead, Goku. you can't eat it if it's alive again."

Goku's jaw dropped slowly as he stared at the cooked piece of poultry in his fist. "Oh... that's right, I can't! Never mind, I like it dead better!" As if to prove how much he liked it, he took a bite that was quite a bit larger than necessary out of the side, making sounds of delight as he chewed and swallowed.

Sanzo quirked a brow and shook his head at his charge, deciding that the best approach right then was to ignore the little glutton. "What about youkai?" he asked as Gojyo began to complain about the kid hogging all the chicken to himself.

The man's smile slipped completely as he twisted his lips thoughtfully. After a moment of silence in which he seemed to ponder this simple question. he finally shrugged and returned to flashing that camera ready smile at him. "I'm afraid you've got me mighty confused there, mister. What about 'em?"

"Can you bring youkai back with human souls?" he amended, trying to decide if the man was playing dumb or was honestly confused by the inquiry.

The eyes opened up again, letting out that shrewdness he'd seen before as the lips thinned down into a tight, but still polite, smile. "Now then, Mr. Holy Man, why would I wanna do that? That just doesn't make sense."

The utter silence in all conversation and bickering at that quiet response was thick enough to coat the skin. The man's gaze flickered around the room, his stretched cheeks going just slightly more tense as he realized he'd put his foot right into a massive pile of dog shit. Letting out a heavy sigh that sounded as if he had resigned himself on some issue, he placed his hat on his head as a signal they would be leaving soon. "Well, we'll be stickin' around for a few days," he commented, his expression once again friendly and inviting. "Y'all are doin' the same, am I right? What with your healer bein' out of commission and all. Oh, and Mr. Holy Man, the name's Hazel. Hazel Grosse."

"Genjyo Sanzo."

"Take care now, Mr. Sanzo. I reckon we'll be seein' you fellas soon enough!" He waved airly over his shoulder as he led the way from their room, the big man shutting the door firmly behind them. Sanzo's eyes narrowed when he noticed that the body guard had both his arms again. Well, he couldn't say he was surprised. If the man could raise the dead, then he could most likely reattach an arm. Especially since that man seemed to be moving under Hazel's power anyway. He was fucking coated in that chill energy, almost like a second skin or a shell.

"WHOA! Hey, didja see that?" Goku yelped, nearly falling over in his chair.

"What?" Gojyo demanded, cocking a brow at the boy's open mouthed, gaping shock.

"The big guy had his arm back! But... But I _saw_ it get chopped off!"

"Dude, you really are just a stupid little monkey, aren't you? The guy can bring _dead people_ back. An arm's nothin' compared to that."

"Yeah, but... wow. That's just... wow."

Sanzo stared at the door a moment longer before shifting his weight to one side, pulling a cigarette free from it's packaging to stick between his lips. There was something very wrong about this. Whatever was going on, this man and those yellow eyed humans who'd attacked them yesterday afternoon were somehow connected. He could feel it in his gut. The man claimed to bring the dead to life again. He never stated what kind of condition those people were in when the returned. Restoring life to the dead disrupted the flow of nature. And nature always had a way of bitch slapping you back into place.

"Sanzo?" Hakkai's carefully quiet question made him glance over at the man, sitting with his hands clenched tightly around the wet cloth. He knew without asking Hakkai was on the same train of thought he was. What if those crazed humans were ones that this Hazel had restored? And, what did he do when there weren't enough dead youkai lying around?

So many new questions... and not a single answer to any of the ones he'd asked before those. Taking a deep drag and holding it briefly before slowly letting it stream from between his lips, Sanzo returned his gaze to the door. "So," he muttered. "They're from the west." Funny they should travel all this way east when they could have stopped the youkai threat much quicker, he mused dryly. He truly hoped he didn't have to see those disturbing blue eyes any time again soon. Somehow, he doubted he'd be that lucky. Unlike nature, fate tended to bitch slap without rhyme or reason. And, gods, was he getting sick of those slaps being directed at him.

----------

Meanwhile, not even ten feet from the door they'd just shut, Hazel led and Gat followed, as it should be. Gat usually had no problem with most anything Hazel decided to do. His goal was simple; protect Hazel Grosse. The deceptively frailer man's life was most precious to him, and was the reason he fought hard and followed when told. He knew not everything Hazel did was... well... of a humane nature. But, they were all people and people fell often on their journeys. It was what they did, whether to attack what had made them fall or to move on from it and learn, after they stood back up that really counted. And, Hazel's good far outweighed any bad that might occur from his actions.

Except... this time, it didn't feel like they were getting back up from a fall. This time, it felt more like they were going to be the ones doing the tripping. It was very unusual that Hazel would suddenly become... obssessed (for lack of a better word) with one person, so far so that when they'd heard a traveling monk and his three companions were in an area they'd simply left a group of newly ressurected humans behind in the forest unattended. Normally, they would have delivered the people to a nearby town, but Hazel had said they were to leave, and so Gat had followed him.

"Well, that was a little more pleasant than I was expectin'," Hazel said in a quiet murmur. "Wouldn't you agree, Gat? That little guy certainly seems to have taken a fancy to you! You know, I heard a rumor not too far back that those boys lived an...ah... alternate style of livin'. Watch yourself around them, Gat. We don't want any of _that_ kinda trouble now."

Gat shifted a little, glad that his skin was dark enough to hide the faint blush Hazel's words stirred up. He knew the man was just teasing him a little, trying to ease some of the tension he obviously picked up on, but it didn't do much good. "Hazel?" he asked, carefully keeping his much deeper voice down.

"Hm?"

"Those three... I don't think they're bad men," he continued. He knew it wasn't what Hazel wanted to hear, but his conscience wouldn't rest until he'd stated his position on the issue. So long as fate and whatever God or gods existed heard that he wasn't completely on board with this, he was fine. He would do it because Hazel was so zealous in regards to the four travelers, but he wouldn't like it. Perhaps if Hazel listened to him, he would change his mind just this once. Gat almost never argued with him. Surely that would say something if he was choosing to do so now. "They weren't with the ones going bers-,"

A fist whipped around and hit his chest as Hazel stopped dead in his tracks. Ice snapped down his spine as cold, blue eyes glanced up at him from under the wide brim of a hat. The hit itself hadn't even phased him, but the simmering anger and edge of demand in those eyes was like a kick to the ribs. The little smile still curved his lips, though it did nothing to hide the threat he was promising. "You're not to argue with me, Gat. Am I bein' quite clear on that? You're only concern is protectin' me."

"Yes. I understand," he replied automatically.

Hazel must have seen he wasn't completely on board with the plan yet because his eyes narrowed suspiciously before he continued in a firmer, more resolute tone, "It doesn't matter what they're like. You can dress 'em in duck feathers, but that doesn't make 'em a duck. A youkai is a youkai, no changin' that."

Gat met that stare levelly, certain that his was completely blank and unreadable. Out of the two of them, he had far more practice at schooling his expressions. Even when he tried, Hazel was still very readable, and right now he was obviously moving on to the next step in their little game.

"Now," the smaller man almost purred, his drawling accent making the one word extend longer than it normally would have. It was like listening to music every time Hazel Grosse spoke, Gat thought idly. "Let's see what those gentlemen can really do." A soft click signaled him snapping his fingers before he began walking down the stairs, pausing on the second step to glance at Gat from under his hat. "Come on now, Gat. We don't really want to be hangin' around here for the show."

Gat hesitated, looking back down the hall at the door. Letting out a breath (not a sigh, he never sighed), he followed as he should and hoped for a change that the game didn't go as planned. Some people deserved what was coming to them. Others received it without any clear logic and accepted it. He was afraid these four were the type to mail that fate back to it's sender, and with a little extra thrown in. It was that little extra that had him feel something he hadn't felt in a number of years; fear. Whatever those guys had, it made him fear not for himself but for the man he would always protect. Deep in his gut, he knew this wasn't a very good idea.

But his only purpose now was to follow and protect, and that was what he would do to the very end.

----------

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Good googamooga! Sorry about the overly long delay in posting, everyone. I've been insanely busy with Halloween preparations and such. Anyway, these two chapters were originally supposed to be one loooong assed chapter, but fan fiction wouldn't allow it to be posted. So, you get two chapters for the price of one. Please be warned that with the holidays and all the updates will not be as steady as they were. After the New Year... they should be back to normal.

Also, it's been brought to my attention that there are a few not-so-nice comments being spread about on Live Journal in regards to this story. I'm aware of them already, and have read them. All I can say is thank you to everyone who has read it and liked/disliked the story. It's a completely cracked pairing, I know, but I do feel I've done a reasonable job of keeping everyone in line. The fact that you read it at all means I've done something right, even if you hated it with an undying passion. If anyone thinks they can do a better job of things, please feel free to try and let me know when it's posted so I can see what you've done. Nothing would thrill me more than to read another writer's take on this very unconventional pairing.

Finally, a marvelous thank you to Moons-Wing for the terrific fanart she's been creating for some of my other stories. I love them, and thank you so very much for them. Also, I guess I should have mentioned this before, but if you're not familiar with the recent mangas/anime, then this is probably a spoiler for you. The only reason I didn't classify it as that before is because I figure the subject matter is already available for public use and therefore is not spoiling anything. Sorry if I was incorrect.


	37. Chapter 37 MATURE

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay... so then. First of all, thank you redbrunja for allowing me to throw plot bunnies at you. I'm sorry you didn't get to do any beta reading on this... but I couldn't wait to post it. So, thank you for letting me throw fluffy objects at you. It was great fun! Second, this chapter had to be broken into two chapters. Chapter 38 is really almost like a continuation of this one as far as sequence of events goes, but I didn't have the time to proof read it or anything, so it won't get posted until a little later. (laughs over emotional cliff hangers) Third, and lastly about this chapter... IT IS MATURE. Yes, MATURE is what this chapter is. Not so MATURE as the last MATURE chapter, but it's still MATURE.

Am I disclaimed enough? Yeah, I think so...

----------

"Well, g'night, Mr. Sanzo! Watch out for any bed critters," an annoyingly cheerful voice called shortly before the door shut completely.

"Hope those critters bite you on the ass, you sour prick," came another much more annoying voice.

Sanzo glared at the wooden door as he jerked his bag roughly open, waiting until Hakkai locked the door to finally rotate the soreness in his shoulder. Finally, some quiet without persistant whining, shouting and good humor over their little rescue stint with their new 'friends' was at hand. That had been further delayed when everyone (except for him, obviously) had decided to congregate in his room for a game of cards, right before Goku went off to investigate Gat's claims that he could regenerate fast and easy from injuries. And speaking of injuries... His efforts not to get involved had been shot to shit, and as a result for it his entire back and shoulders were aching. Of course, it also could have something to do with being forced to camp out the evening prior. He frowned thoughtfully as he pulled a cigarette from his pack and lit up, inhaling the first calming wave of nicotine gratefully into his lungs.

"Sanzo?" Hakkai asked quietly, using the tone that said he was concerned for the blonde but also wanted to talk about something that was on his mind. It was politely inquisitive, and Sanzo knew if he said no, Hakkai wouldn't start the discussion he wanted to. His movements in unpacking and organizing their room after the impromptu party had halted completely, awaiting his response.

Sanzo turned just enough to give Hakkai an arched brow, silent permission to continue with whatever was on his mind. All he really wanted to do was take a hot bath and relax his body a little. It was why he'd insisted on bunking in with Hakkai, despite Hazel's assurances that both he and his big-ass body guard slept like rocks. When the bishop had actually suggested that he get a massage by that same big-ass bodyguard... yeah, he'd pass on that. That was just too damned creepy for him.

Hakkai finished folding a spare shirt, lowering his eyes as he prepared his thoughts for speech. Sanzo frowned, blowing smoke through his lips as he watched the slightly nervous gesture of smoothing invisible wrinkles in the freshly folded garment. Something was eating at the green eyed man badly for him to openly display his discomfort. "Sanzo... I don't like this."

Again, he arched a brow, tapping ash off onto the floor. Hakkai's eyes never waivered from his beyond smooth shirt that he was still making minute adjustments to. Huh... usually Hakkai would have all but had a coniption over ashes on the clean floor. Realizing during the pause that Hakkai was waiting for a response, he let out a low breath and sat down on his own bed. "You don't like what, the sleeping arrangements? Tough shit, I refuse to share a room with idiots and fanboys."

A half-hearted smile flickered briefly over Hakkai's thin lips before he, too, sat on his bed, back ramrod stiff and head lowered. "While I appreciate not being lumped into either of those categories, unfortunately it wasn't the sleeping arrangements I was referring to."

"I figured that. What happened during the ride back?" He'd noticed Hakkai was particularly cold toward their new traveling (temporarily, he reminded himself with a bit of relief) companions after dropping the female hostages off at their homes. He remained mostly silent to them during dinner and had been very quick to say that the credit card they were using was near full and couldn't possibly pay for a third room when they approached the front desk. Gojyo had thankfully started a fight with Goku right then when the boy almost busted up that lie. Then, when the usual invasion of _his_ room occured, Hakkai had purposely sat apart, participating in the card games only when Goku pestered him to.Sanzo had let it be for the time being, knowing Hakkai probably had a good reason for it and would explain later.

"While we were returning back," Hakkai began slowly, still not looking Sanzo in the eye. His own gaze was narrowed, green eyes gleaming thoughtfully in the glow from the overhead light. Sanzo watched the smoke curl idly from his cigarette as he listened to what Hakkai said. "We came across a youkai."

"Hmph, and?"

"It was a little boy, maybe six years old at best."

Sanzo let out a low breath, his mind already jumping to where this story was going. "And the good bishop wanted to stop and add another soul to his collection, correct?"

Hakkai nodded once, finally turning his head enough to give Sanzo an almost defiant glare. "Taking the souls of people who intend harm is one thing. Murdering a child, no matter what race, is completely different. I don't trust him, Sanzo, and I certainly don't like him. That boy intended no harm to anyone, and wasn't the least bit effected by the Minus Wave. To actually consider killing a child..." Eyes usually the color of jade darkened to a nearly pine green as Hakkai's jaw tightened angrily, fingers curling into tight, shaking fists.

"We knew right off the bat that he wasn't fond of youkai," Sanzo said into the silence, watching the end of his cigarette glow cherry red and acrid black. While what Hakkai had just told him was disturbing, it didn't surprise him. There had always been thin, barely noticed lines between human and youkai, but they'd been overlooked for the most part in the name of peaceful coexistance. The Minus Wave only scribbled over those lines in permanent, stark black ink.

"Yes, but I never would have imagined that hatred would extend to an innocent, homeless child," Hakkai replied sharply, his tone dropping ever so slightly to the one that meant he was being very careful with his anger. Sanzo's eyes narrowed and directed their attention to the still sitting man.

"Racial bigots very rarely differentiate between age or social conditions," the monk said, flicking the cigarette butt to the floor and crushing it under his boot heel. "All they see is what they hate, not who they're hating. However..."

Hakkai's green eyes widened and snapped on him so fast it had to have caused whiplash. Slowly, he shook his head, his back straightening just a touch more in his growing ire. "No... don't even say it, Sanzo. There is _nothing_ good about what that man does!"

Sanzo shrugged the argument away, leaning forward to perch his elbows on his knees and fold his hands together. "That wasn't what I was going to say, you presumptuous bastard. I was about to say that he and his oversized boyfriend are saving us a lot of work by traveling with us and killing off the youkai who _do_ require it. You're the driver. Haven't you noticed how much farther we traveled over the last day or so because we're not spending hours at a time fighting off assassins?"

"I would rather take twenty years on this journey than associate myself with a murdering sociopath."

Sanzo shrugged again, refraining from stating that Hakkai himself could fall under the same category as murdering sociopath. Hell, all of the (with maybe the exception of Goku) could be classified as that, but given Hakkai's agitated state of things, he really didn't think it wise to point this out. Chi was well and good when healing an injury, but he doubted the same was true for creating one. Besides, knowing how Hakkai loved self-punishment, the thought was already slapping around in his too-busy brain.

Letting out an exhausted puff of air, he stood and removed the sutra from his shoulders, rolling it up neatly before setting it on the side table by his bed. "I'm taking a shower and going to bed," he announced to his current room mate. "We leave early tomorrow, so that kappa of yours better have his happy ass back by then." He began walking toward the bathroom, removing everything but his jeans in the process.

"And what about Bishop Grosse and his loyal servant?" Hakkai asked bitterly. The question was merely for hope's sake, asked just in case Sanzo surprised him with the answer he wanted but wasn't expecting.

"The minute they get in my way, we'll deal with them. Until then, it's none of my business," Sanzo answered back firmly, shutting the door on Hakkai's wounded puppy face.

----------

This was really stupid of her.

Yaone's eyes flinched a little as she walked with a slight limp quickly to the dragon pens. It was only days after the attack by those... well... shikigamis for lack of a better comparison. Kougaiji was still furious with Lirin, confining her to quarters and not even paying attention to her. She and Dokugakuji were under orders not to discuss him with the princess beyond polite conversation and reassuring her that he was still mad at her. It was the first time since she'd known Lirin that the girl wasn't smiling or bouncing around Houtu Castle. Kougaiji's new method of chastizing her was working more than adequately.

He'd been angry with her, too, for not running with Lirin. He hadn't shouted but he'd been very intense when ordering her through gritted teeth not the EVER do such a 'damned foolish stunt' again. After that, he'd insisted on helping her to her room himself. And that was where a problem had occured. Yaone's cheeks burned as she remembered him brushing his fingers against her cheek in what could only have been an intimate gesture. She'd been horrified when he'd dropped to his knees in front of her, his eyes betraying everything like they always did. Worry, anger and that little spark she'd always just associated with Sanzo's eyes swirled through his indigo eyes. It was the last that had made her squirm internally and caused her to look away from that too-honest gaze.

Fortunately, Kougaiji only let out a weary, resigned sigh, squeezing her hands affectionately before helping her get her ankle propped and iced. His shoulders had been ramrod stiff as he'd left, and she'd learned later from Dokugakuji that he'd spent the next few hours beating the snot out of a training bag somewhere. It hadn't made her feel any better, even if the swordsman was highly amused over the condition of the bag once the prince was done with it. She didn't enjoy being the source of her lord's frustrations, but how could she return feelings that weren't there any longer?

_Or maybe those feelings are still there and you just redirected them on someone more willing at the time to accept them?_

Yaone almost tripped over herself at that chilling thought. Could that really be why she'd fallen for Sanzo? He'd expressed an interest, however benign at the time, in her when Kougaiji hadn't. She hadn't known until quite recently how exactly her lord felt toward her. Was that why she loved the arrogant monk? She shook her head, frowning at the very idea, and pushed through the doors of the pen as quietly as the hinges would allow her.

No, that wasn't why. She hadn't maintained their liasons just so he could be a surrogate for Kougaiji. She was in love with the person that _was_ Genjyo Sanzo, right down to that God-awful stubborness of his. Even with the strain on their relationship, she loved him. Whether or not that love meant anything against his internal demons and issues was another thing. She'd realized since their last... argument (she hated calling it what it was) that Sanzo wasn't truly jealous of Kougaiji. Or, rather, she hoped he wasn't. What this amounted to was a battle against his own deep-seated defenses, yet more barriers she had to break through to finally reach the very core of him. And... it was frustrating her to no end how wrapped in spiny layers he was. She understood pain, and she understood being hurt over and over again. Granted, it wasn't the same type of hurt Sanzo had obviously faced, but she still knew how hard it was to trust someone after all that. But God above, when was he going to let her?

Yaone sighed to herself quietly as she rounded a turn and began walking toward her own dragon's pen. Sparky was out of commission for her use at the time, seeing as Lirin was in her room and sulking over her brother being mad at her. With the girl running around and practically untrackable in the Castle, it was easy for her to take Sparky and allow Lirin to take the blame. Was it wrong of her to let Lirin get attached to Sparky's long absences? Yes... but she would argue that away by saying that the dragon was thrilled to carry her anywhere she wanted, if only because he knew he wouldn't be trussed up in a tree four possibly days on end.

Her dragon grumbled, opening a lazy eye as she carefully opened the stall door and slipped inside. The musky smell of dragon hide came to her nose, as well as a trace of burned carbon from a recent mating cycle that had almost ended badly. The lower end of the pen was charred and blackened from a lust enraged female who had been less than thrilled with her mate. Yaone made soothing noises to the grumpy dragon, rubbing the softer hide under his heavy jaw to let him know she didn't mean any harm. He blinked, slowly focusing his eyes on her and let out another rumble of sound, this one more awake and eager to get going than before. She smiled, keeping one hand to the well cared for hide as she moved around to get her saddle from the post on the wall.

"It'll be easier saddling during the daytime."

Yaone whirled around and then quickly pressed herself against the wall as her dragon started from the sharp, sudden movements. Dokugakuji was already in the stall, hushing the dragon and trying to lull him back to a state of calm. Dark eyes met hers in the twilight and gave her a sheepish apology. "Didn't mean to scare you, Yaone," the swordsman said as he continued to rub the base around the dragon's horns in smooth, calm gestures.

"I certainly hope you didn't mean to," she replied with just a touch of annoyance. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you had plans with Lixue."

"I did... but I saw you sneaking out here and followed you," he answered, his lips thinning into a disapproving line. "And the same question to you. What the hell are you up to out here?"

Blushing, Yaone pushed away from the wall and retrieved her saddle that had fallen. "I... was going out, obviously," she said lamely, carefully avoiding his eyes.

A sharp, "Goddamn it," made her look up as Dokugakuji shook his head sharply, eyes now glittering angrily in the darkness. "Look, I'm not trying to be a pain in the ass here, Yaone, but I just don't get you."

"There's nothing to get, Doku. I'm going out for a bit."

"You're hurt. You shouldn't be going anywhere."

She remained silent, her own jaw fixed tightly to keep back any angry words. Sighing, Dokugakuji stepped around the dragon's head, ignoring the disappointed rumble that came when he stopped scratching his hide. Yaone refused to look away this time, even when he took both her hands in his, squeezing gently in the manner of an older brother.

"I've been quiet this whole time, Yaone," the big man said softly. "I've let you do your own thing here, hoping maybe it was just some kinda fling, you know? But... it's not, is it? You love this guy, don't you?"

Swallowing heavily, she nodded once and finally lowered her gaze. "I do, Doku. I can't help it," she whispered.

"And it doesn't matter that Kou's about out of his mind about you?"

"It matters in the sense that I don't want to displease my lord, but otherwise it doesn't. It's not fair to him if I pretend just to make him happy. He deserves so much more than that."

Sighing, he squeezed her hands again, his thumbs rubbing over the tops soothingly. "You're right about that, and I'm sure as hell glad you realize that, too. I don't think I'd forgive you if you faked it all just for him." He chuckled, but it wasn't with any humor. "Shit, you like to do things the hard way, don't you?"

She shrugged and offered a faint smile as she met his gaze again. There wasn't much point anymore in pretending she wasn't seeing Sanzo. Doku was anything but stupid, and it really wouldn't be that hard to figure out if one knew what to look for. "It's not like we chose the hard way on purpose. We really don't have a choice."

Dokugakuji chuckled again, this time with definate humor, as he took the saddle from her hands. "It'll be easier with two of us working. We don't wanna keep your cyclops boyfriend waiting much longer. Just... be back tomorrow afternoon, okay? I'll tell Kou you went back to the battle scene to see if you could find any other clues."

Yaone frowned as she looped the cinch strap under her dragon's belly and over to Dokugakuji. "My cyclops boyfriend?" she questioned, confused for a moment as to who he was eluding to.

Rolling his eyes, the big man pulled sharply on the strap, using his knee to try and push any puffing of the sides out. He remembered from an incident before that Yaone's dragon liked to do that when saddling. "Hakkai? Wears a monocle? Do you get the cyclops referrence?"

"Oh... You still think I'm seeing Hakkai?" she laughed. She would have thought for sure after their little talks that Dokugakuji would have figured it out by now! Apparently, it wasn't as obvious as she'd thought, which worked well in her favor should anyone else suspect anything.

"Wait... are you saying you're not?" he asked incredulously. "But... it's gotta be him! No way in hell would you put up with Gojyo. Goku's too young and has a personality way too much like Lirin's. And Sanzo's a..."

Yaone continued sliding buckles into place calmly, letting him draw his own conclusions. She could almost feel the shock dripping off of him as Doku suddenly realized which of the four she truly _was_ seeing. "No... aw, hell no! No way in... Yaone, you can't be..." His eyes were wide to the point of nearly falling from his head.

"Something wrong, Dokugakuji?" she asked sweetly, finally turning his way with a smug little smirk.

Dokugakuji shook his head and took two steps back and away from her. "You... and _him_? Shit... just... holy SHIT!"

She opened the stall door and tugged gently on the reins to lead her dragon out, leaving a completely dumbfounded Dokugakuji in the stall. "We'll talk later, Doku, but I really have to get going now."

"Wait, Yaone... Hey!"

She was already mounted and urging her dragon out of the pen, ignoring his startled calls and the footsteps pounding after her. What did finally make her pause and blink in surprise was when he grabbed the reins and stood directly before her. "Dokugakuji..."

"Two miles outside of a town called Choudhre," he said. "Some punk gang of youkai were killed recently. Bullet casings were found at their hide out. You should start there, it's not that far from the forest you and Lirin were attacked in."

Yaone's jaw dropped a little at the news, her eyes widening. "How did you find this out? And why are you telling me?"

"The report just got sent to Kou, and I happened to be present when he was reading it through," he explained with a wicked grin that was exactly the same as his half brother's. "And I guess I'm telling you so you don't waste your time looking around. I like this even less than if you _were_ seeing Gojyo, but if it makes you happy... Be safe and be careful, okay?"

Her shoulder relaxed a bit, a soft smile touching her lips as she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she said quietly as she dug her heels in to urge the dragon forward. Whatever he shouted after her was drowned out in the heavy creaking of wing joints followed by the sharp puffs of air as the dragon took a running leap into the sky, quickly gaining altitude and putting distance between herself and Houtu Castle.

----------

Goku snarled and kicked with everything he had at the wooden crate out behind the inn and tried not to think about anything except crushing those little pieces of wood into saw dust with his fists. It was really late out now, and he was expecting a bullet to come outta nowhere for him to get him to shut up, but he really didn't care. And, as much as he tried not to think about what had made him run out back and start kicking wooden crate asses, the more he ended up really thinking about it.

_"Somebody, please help! My baby..."_

_"... I asked y'all earlier, didn't I? To stop the Jeep..."_

This was beyond lame! What was the point of being able to bring someone back from the dead if they went crazy from it, and to even get THAT far in the process you needed someone else's soul! He'd thought it was cool before but now... He'd rather never eat again than have a power like that. Also, there were the really weird vibes he was picking up from that Hazel guy which he didn't like. Oh, the man was pretty nice... especially to Sanzo... and everything, but there was something about him that made Goku's tongue wanna curl up and die. It made his skin all prickly like he had ants crawling all over him, and those eyes were the same type of creepy cheerful as Hakkai's. Well... not quite. Hakkai usually _was_ cheerful, even when he was killing people. Hazel wasn't. His cheerful face really was a mask, he was sure of it!

Now, Gat though... He liked the gi-normous man. Thing. Whatever the hell he was. Gat kinda reminded him of Sanzo in a way. A really tall, REALLY muscley Sanzo, though. Who didn't hit him or call him stupid or monkey depending on how angry he was. No, what made Goku think of Sanzo when he saw the big man was that sorta sadness to him. Even when angry, Sanzo always seemed so sad to him, and Gat was the same way. Not to mention the fact that Gat didn't let anyone get in his way either... but it was mostly the sadness. Gat looked like he might hate the rain, too, which made him feel bad. It made him ache in his chest the same way it always did when he saw Sanzo during the rain. Nobody should be so sad they can't find a reason to smile at least once in a while, especially not if they were still alive. If they were alive, and whoever was trying to hurt them was dead, wasn't that a good reason to smile?

He didn't know. Sometimes, he felt like he was so close to understanding everything at last, and other times he felt like he really didn't get anything at all. He missed talking to Sanzo about all this. Despite being hit in the head, cussed at and told to get more cigarettes regardless of weather conditions, if he needed to talk, Sanzo listened to him. He would sit and be quiet, then ask a question or say something that would instantly help Goku understand. It was frustrating and it pissed him off that he couldn't do that now, and it was all because of _Yaone_.

Stupid Yaone!

His scowl darkened as he kicked a crate up, smashing through one side and then spun and punched between the two halves before it could hit the ground. What did she know about anything anyway? She wasn't there when Sanzo got poisoned by the scorpion youkai. She wasn't the one to watch in horror as Sanzo put himself in front of Rikudo's staff. Hell, she didn't even know what kinda cigarettes he smoked! Goku had thought trying to date women would help him understand why Sanzo seemed to really like the healer, but it wasn't working. Yeah, he kinda liked kissing Sima, but he _just didn't get it_! Why did everything have to change because _she_ was sleepin' with him?

Those frustrations added to the ones from earlier and made him grit his teeth hard enough to hurt as he spun around, looking for another box to kill. Nothing, not even an old tin can. "Aw... damn it," he muttered, fingers still curled into tight fists. There was nothing left for him to hit or kick and, and he was still angry! Goku looked around again, ignoring the way his lungs rose and fell sharply and the dull ache in his knuckles. Sanzo had always told him to take it out on something instead of holding it in. Well, he needed to take it out, but there was nothing to take it out on.

_"Maybe someone's willin' to exchange their life for the child's? Hn... I thought not."_

Growling, Goku began exercises from when Sanzo had first taught him how to fight. They were simple, but they at least kept him moving and got rid of the nasty feeling in his gut. He wished Hakkai would have lost it on Hazel and decked him out good. He wished they'd never met that stupid Hazel to begin with. He wished... well, he wished for a lotta things, but right then he just wanted everything to go back to the way it was before, just the four of them traveling west. He spun around sharply, compensating for the rapid motion by putting more weight on the ball of his foot while the other one followed the spinning movement around and through...

To be caught in a big, meaty fist.

Goku froze, dropping his leg down awkwardly as Gat released it, wiping the sweat that dripped down the sides of his face. Hooded, yellow eyes stared down at him, the sharp angles of the face above never creasing to show any emotion. Goku waited, panting hard, for the big man to say something. "It's a little late to be training," that deep, thunder-sounding voice finally said.

"I couldn't sleep," Goku explained, ruffling the damp hair off his forehead and neck. He wished he could take his limiter off and itch the sweaty pieces underneath, but he couldn't. The only time he ever really noticed the piece of metal was when he worked up a sweat or it was summer out. Gat towered over him, the relievingly cool breeze that swept through lightly tossing the thick pieces of hair and pulling gently on the feathers at the end of one. "So... what about you? Why're you still up, Gat?"

"I don't need to sleep."

Oh... well... yeah. That explained that. It was starting to cramp Goku's neck having to look up and up to see those shadowed eyes, but he didn't wanna look away. Even if the face never betrayed it, he could still see that little bit of sadness there in his eyes. Just like with Sanzo... "I... I was just practisin', ya know," he added quickly, in case Gat thought that maybe those simple drills were all he knew how to do. "I was just warmin' up is all."

"I'm sorry for interupting. Please continue." Big shoulders like boulders of rock that happened to look like a man turned around as heavy steps began to head back for the inn.

Goku had no idea why he shouted, "Wait!" Maybe it was because of Gat's sad eyes. Or maybe because he really didn't wanna be alone. _Or maybe because I really miss Sanzo and I really need to talk to someone_, he thought to himself. Whatever it was, Gat froze, glancing back over his shoulder with a slight quirk to his dark brow. Goku hesitated under that heavy stare, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to find what he wanted to say, which was really hard because he didn't know he'd wanted to say something to begin with. Taking a deep breath, he made the decision to just talk and see what happened. At any rate, it might make him feel better to say it outloud.

"You remember that baby earlier?" he began quietly, taking just a half step closer to the giant before him. "For a second... I really wanted a youkai to attack or somethin'. That way, we could save him, y'know? I just... I didn't know what to _do_ an' it pisses me off..." His words trailed off as he finally broke their stare, eyes darting over to the cracked and splintered crates as his fists tightened once again. Great, now he sounded like a big baby!

A shuffle of heavy feet made him look back up as Gat turned around again, cracking the knuckles on each of his meaty fists. "If you're not going to sleep, I'll join you," he rumbled. "I never tire anyway."

For a split second, Goku thought as he grinned and dropped into an offensive position, he could have sworn he saw a faint crook of a smile across the face at least three feet above him. All of that disappeared as he launch a kick at the giant man's chest.

----------

Yaone smoothed out the wrinkles in her green dress that riding on a dragon's neck caused as she stood just outside the door to the inn that reportedly housed not one but two holy men inside. She wasn't sure who the other was, but the description given to her by a young lady fit Sanzo perfectly. That description also meant the woman had been staring just a bit too long at her boyfriend, seeing as she'd made sure to include 'the hottest ass to be wrapped in silk' in her description of the blonde man. The woman's only saving grace from any retaliation on Yaone's part was the fact that the tart didn't know Sanzo was a taken man. She hoped he was still taken, at least. After that last fight they'd had, it was hard to tell.

Well, there was only one way to end the suspense. She had to just walk through the door and somehow get him to either come down and talk or allow her up in the room. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly to calm herself, Yaone checked her limiters to make sure they were securely fastened around her wrist before entering the inn. It was relatively quiet for the hour of evening. The place sported a bar in the common room, and she was a little surprised to find there was only one card game going on and a few people scattered to chat in mumbled voices. A quick scan of the faces told her none of Sanzo's companions were in there, which was relieving.

The clerk behind the desk quickly marked off a spot in his book and smiled as she approached. "Need a room, miss?" he inquired politely.

"No, thank you," she said, giving him one of her most polite smiles. "I was actually wondering if you might deliver a message to Master Sanzo for me?"

The clerk frowned ever so slightly, a nervous blush touching his cheeks. "Well... normally, miss, I would, but Master Sanzo left very strict instructions that he wasn't to be disturbed all evening."

Yaone laughed softly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she played coy. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of bothering Master Sanzo unedr those orders, naturally. But, you see..." She leaned forward before continuing, lowering her lashes flirtatiously as the clerk's eyes dropped to her breasts. Even covered completely by the high neck of her dress, a man's eye was usually drawn to her chest. It was one of the reasons why having large breasts was both a blessing and a curse at times. If it worked to get her message to Sanzo, then they were most definately a blessing. "It's not every day a girl gets to meet _the_ most holy of monks. Isn't there any way you might give him a message for me? Please?"

The man swallowed, lips parting a little as she traced a curved, human shaped nail along his jaw, giving him a look she hoped was properly encouraging. Slowly, he nodded, that same movement becoming more enthused when she smiled, leaning even further over the counter top for a pen and a piece of scrap paper. She quickly scribbled her message, folding it before holding it out to the clerk between her fingers. "Thank you so very much," she purred, fighting the urge to roll her eyes as he swallowed again and took the note with eager fingers.

"Just... wait here until I get back, miss," he stammered, tripping a little over his own feet as he quickly ran up the stairs. He glanced back a couple times on his way up just to ensure she was still there.

Yaone let out a little sigh, arching a brow briefly before wrapping her arms around her stomach to wait. She watched the clock tick by in minutes, each one seeming to last a year in length. God, this was nerve-wrecking! She really wasn't looking forward to this meeting, but it had to be done, for both their sakes. The sudden, horrifying thought that perhaps he would refuse to see her crept through her mind and made her nails dig into her sides sharply. Dear lord, if that happened...

"Evenin' miss. Pardon me for interuptin', but have you seen the clerk about?"

She turned toward the warm, pleasantly accented voice and smiled as she shook her head. The man leaning against the door frame of the common room smiled back, his white teeth catching in the light. Everything about him was pale and delicately made, almost like an angel. Clear blue eyes, silvery blonde hair and pale skin with just a hint of pink at the cheeks that were turned up in that million dollar smile. "Sorry, but he just left," she answered.

"Oh, deary-dear... Well, I guess I better wait for his return," the man continued with a patient little sigh. He brushed his gloved hands across his hat to clean it of dust particles she doubted were there. Yaone glanced down at the long coat he wore, eyes darting to the pendant that swung from a chain around his neck. She shivered, rubbing her arms lightly through the long gloves covering her skin. The air suddenly felt a little chill, as if the taste of mint suddenly had texture to feel. She could sense just a faint trace of aura coming from the man, probing her curiously. Not that he could sense much, though, seeing as she wore her limiters. "Seems we've got a nice, clear evenin' tonight, doesn't it?"

Yaone blinked, her gaze snapping back up to the smiling face. "Sorry?" she questioned, having not heard what was asked. She clutched her arms a little tighter at the look on his face. He was still smiling, yes, but... his eyes were ice cold. She suddenly had the queasy feeling that perhaps he knew more about her and why she'd come than he was letting on.

"The weather," the man repeated. "It's mighty lovely, a nice bit of wind kickin' in. Where'd you say you were comin' in from again, miss?"

"I didn't say, sir," she replied stiffly. The vibes had changed with that look from his blue eyes. Gone was any of the warmth that voice had suggested to be replaced with a chillness that spoke more of the grave. She began to wonder where in the hell that clerk had gone off to now.

"Oh, yes, that's right! We hadn't gotten that far in introducin' ourselves," the man 'suddenly' remembered, a soft chuckle breaking from his lips. "Silly me, gettin' too far ahead of the conversation. I do apologize, miss. My name is... say... those are some mighty fine lookin' bracelets ya got there. Hand crafted?"

Yaone jerked her arm away sharply as he reached a hand out, eyes narrowing at the shrewd, knowing look those blue eyes gave her. Shit... he knew. He had to know exactly what her bracelets were. What else would explain that look on his face? She shook her arm loose a little, making the bracelets tinkle and clink together at the motion. Slowly, she traced the fingers of her other hand around the body-warmed metal pieces and didn't bother to try and return the socially polite smile he gave her. "These were a gift from my mother, and I'd rather you keep your hands to yourself. It's rude to force your attentions on a lady, especially if you're a holy man."

That got the smile to fade almost completely out. It still lingered in tight traces around the corners of his mouth, but that coldness was starting to seep into the rest of his body now. "My, my, you certainly are an observant little thing," he replied through gritted teeth. "Where's your momma at now, miss?"

"That's really none of your business, _sir_."

His laughter surprised her, causing her to arch a brow as he wiped at the corner of one eye in humor. "Mercy, but this conversation's gone south right quick, hasn't it? Just a simple question about fashion accessories, and now we're gettin' down right hostile with our speech!"

"It looks to me like you're accessorized enough, don't you think?" she asked, nodding to indicate his necklace. And where, by all that was holy and unholy, was that damned clerk?

The man traced his gloved fingertips around the pendant, seeming to caress the metal lines in a loving fashion. "You really _are_ such an observant girl. This here is a special kinda pendant."

"I guessed that."

"If you want, I can show you how it works, little lady. It won't take long, really." The smile lifting his cheeks now made her step back and away from him, fear gnawing at her stomach. It was nothing but predatory glee she saw there. Her hand began to reach for the slit in her dress at to the string of explosives attached to her thigh. Whatever that pendant could do, she knew on instinct that she didn't want to be shown how it worked. The coolness in the aura was expanding to fill the room a bit more, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end sharply. She took another step back as he took one forward, their eyes locked but truly watching the other's movements.

Footsteps coming down the stairs broke through the battle-ready tension of the room. The man's shoulders instantly relaxed and that easy, friendly smile returned as if it had never been gone. "I'm sure I'll be seein' you again, miss. And I do hope you... enjoy... your evenin'." He placed his hat on his head and stepped outside the inn just as the clerk came into view, beaming happily.

"Okay... so I talked to Master Sanzo. I don't know what that note said, but he wants you to come straight up," the young man said excitedly, not noticing that her attention was anywhere but on him. Yaone stared after the dark, trailing edge of the man's robes as she forced the fear away and her body to relax again. Okay... that was close. The man obviously knew she was a youkai, but she doubted she would be seeing him again. EVER. Or, at least that was her most sincere hope. There was something about him that told her it would be very bad meeting him again.

Yaone took another calming breath before flashing a fairly convincing smile to the clerk as she looped her arm through his. "See, I just knew you'd get me an audience with Master Sanzo," she gushed, slipping back into the role of flirting tart as best she could.

The clerk continued to talk during their walk to Sanzo's room, talking about the inn's history, it's additions... where his room was. Yaone only half listened to the man as the walked down the hall, her fingers still brushing over her limiters in a nervous gesture now instead of a protective one. She almost wished that man would come back and start some trouble, if only to delay the inevitable unpleasantness that was waiting for her behind one of these doors. She nearly jumped out of her skin when two doors ahead of the one they were currently passing opened, allowing Hakkai to exit. He was obviously already in a state of preparing for bed seeing as he was bare foot, in pajamas and without his monocle. His clothing was tucked and folded neatly against his chest, his shoes carried in the opposite hand. Yaone froze in her tracks, eyes slightly widened. Hakkai already knew... but it still didn't make meeting in a hallway and knowing that she was the reason he was abandoning his room any easier.

Fortunately, Hakkai's reaction immediately made her feel a little more at ease. She should have trusted him to take the kinder road in this regard. His smile brightened just slightly upon seeing her and he bowed at the waist just enough to be respectful. "Good evening, Yaone. It's good to see you again," he said pleasantly, keeping his voice just low enough for her to hear.

Yaone offered a smile back and a slight bow in return. "Hakkai. I'm... sorry. I didn't know if you were-,"

"Oh, it's quite alright! Please, don't mind me. Gojyo's out for the evening, so there's an extra bed across the hall. Have a good night."

She nodded, unsure if the last had been a subtle joke or just him being his usual polite self. Oh, dear God, she hoped it wasn't him eluding to her sleeping with Sanzo! That would be beyond embarassing! The clerk was looking at her with a confused expression as Hakkai crossed the hall and disappeared behind the door. "Wait... so, you know them already?" the boy replied. It was obvious everything was starting to sink in with him, his eyes widening a little in hurt.

Yaone rubbed her eyes briefly to try and ease the growing headache from coming on full force. "I never said I didn't," she muttered as she walked past him. "Thank you for delivering my note, and for walking me upstairs. It was very kind of you."

"Hey... Wait a second!"

She already had the door open and was slipping inside the dimly lit room just as he spluttered his demand for her to stop.

----------

Sanzo glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the door opening and shutting quietly before it was locked. He saw her hesitate in the shadows, her bag still draped over her shoulders. Even with as pissed as he was about everything, he still had a hard time ignoring the hurt look in her eyes in favor of returning his gaze out to the moonlit court yard below, where Goku was going ape-shit (no pun intended) on a bunch of empty crates and boxes. That same moonlight caught on the leather covering his chest, now bare to the eyes without the robe to cover it. Neither of them said a word to the other, still standing at opposite ends of the room. Sanzo's gaze dropped to the quick little note crumpled in his hand shortly before he scrunched it even further in his fist.

_Are you coming down, or am I coming up?_

That was all it had said, but those few words conveyed quite a bit to him. He could tell she was uncertain about whether or not she should even be here, and he knew there was no way he was getting out of a conversation about what was going on between them. Fine, he could do that. He wasn't sure if it was going to help or hinder the process, but leaving it to sit and stagnate wasn't doing shit for them. Sanzo dropped the note onto the window sill and opted for lighting a cigarette to stall for time. Once they started speaking, he knew everything was going to go badly. The silence, however awkward, was prefered at this point than the fight he could feel lurking in the wings.

Soft footsteps approached hesitantly from behind, and he had a brief moment where he thought she might come and wrap her arms around him from behind. That thought created a conflict of physical and emotional responses in him. His back stiffened with the need to not be touched at all, while his stomach flipped with the thrill of her hands on him. His brain was torn between the anger that she would dare try and get close to him after what had happened, and what he almost would have termed as his need to have her close to him. It was damned frustrating!

Yaone seemed to guess at his conflicts because she chose the middle road. She moved until she was standing next to him, her face hidden in the shadows cast from the curtains while the rest of her was bathed over in the same silvery light of the moon. The light reflected on the bracelets at her wrist and drew attention to the curved nails she sported instead of claws. She leaned against the window frame, mirroring his position except for her hands being folded before her instead of nursing a cigarette. "It's rather pretty out, don't you think?" she asked softly, her eyes following Goku's fluid movements below.

"He certainly seems to think so," he replied, watching the boy with her. They were simply avoiding the topic, which was fine for now. He wasn't quite ready to have the nearly relaxing mood disrupted quite yet.

She smiled, her fingertips tracing a series of cracks in the glass window. "I don't think he's really paying much attention to the weather or the scenery," she stated.

Sanzo agreed with her, taking a hit off his cigarette and blowing the smoke out slowly. It surprised him just a touch that, despite all that was sitting between them, he still remembered to blow the smoke away from her. Why should he care about that? For all he knew, she was sleeping around on him. It would serve her right to choke on those wisps of grey smoke. "Goku's pissed off," he muttered. He didn't need to see those expressive golden eyes to know that. He felt the kid's anger almost like it was his own.

"Is he, about what?"

"Probably the two bastards that are tagging along for a bit."

Yaone's gaze fell on him curiously, one hand pulling away from the glass to push a small piece of hair back and away from her face. "Oh?"

Sanzo still wouldn't meet her gaze, taking another hit before continuing. "Something about the one hating all youkai and trying to get Hakkai to stop the Jeep to kill a kid."

Her startled gasp and her hand shooting up to her mouth finally did cause him to shoot a glance out of the corner of his eye at her. "Hakkai refused, but ever since then Goku's been angry."

"I don't blame him," she replied fervently, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "Why would anyone harm a child?"

Shrugging, Sanzo finished his cigarette and stubbed it out in the tray on the sill. "Do you need a reason other than hate to do something like that?"

"But still... This man didn't kill the child, did he?"

"As far as I'm aware, no."

Her relief flooded across her features and made her shoulders curl over just a little. After a few seconds to process that, she looked up again, meeting his eyes across the distance of about two feet between them. Gods, how he wanted to just close that distance... Instead, Sanzo turned and leaned his shoulder against the frame work, cross his arms over his chest. They were now facing each other, both preparing themselves for the conversation to come, but neither one willing to initiate it quite yet.

Finally, letting out a low sigh, she tipped her head down and began it, just as he'd hoped she would. "Sanzo... this isn't good."

"No, shit," he replied.

"I don't think it's either of our faults," she continued, hugging herself just a little tighter. She still kept her head down, and it bothered him a little that he couldn't see her face. It was so easy to read her when she was looking at him. "I think... maybe... it's a miscommunication, or a lack of it, that's the problem."

"We're communicating now," he pointed out. shifting his position by the window a little. This was starting to feel a little uncomfortable for him, but he couldn't back down now. If he wanted this... if he wanted _her_... he would have to deal with the discomfort and step up. "What do you suggest we do about this?"

Yaone's breath was a little shuddery as it left her. Her fingers curled into fists as she forcibly lifted her head to meet his gaze. He could see tears just under the surface, but they weren't ready to fall yet. A determination also lit those copper colored eyes, which urged him just a step closer. She flinched a little at his movement before she said in a whispered voice, "I suggest honesty, Sanzo. I... I do have something to tell you, and it's something I thought would be easier left unsaid. Unfortunately, it's not that easy and I've regretted the decision ever since I made it."

Sanzo's stomach roiled over, like it was trying to make him sick. He knew it. He'd known it all along, and now she was about to lay it open for him. Part of him was relieved to finally have her confess to sleeping with Kougaiji, while the other half wanted to track the mother fucker down and kill him slowly. He remained silent, waiting for her to say it when she was ready.

What she finally did say surprised him in the fact that it wasn't what he'd expected. "I... I told Lord Kougaiji you were staying at Peeraj. There were... circumstances... behind him asking this of me, and I couldn't refuse once it was asked. But, there wasn't supposed to be an attack like that. Lord Kougaiji was planning his own raid and was beyond furious when he learned others got a hold of this same information. We don't know how the leak happened, but... I swear to you, you weren't supposed to be attacked."

He waited, processing the information as best he could. He'd known the entire time that it had to have been her, and deep down he knew the attack wasn't Kougaiji's normal style. Usually, the youkai prince like to wait until they were out of the cities and towns to spare on innocent bystanders. The fact that they got attacked on the very day they were leaving, inside the town limits no less, was proof enough that Kougaiji hadn't ordered those attacks.

Letting out his own slowly controled breath, he nodded once. "I knew that already."

Her eyes widened, lips parting in shock. "You knew, and you never said anything?"

"Why should I have said anything? I knew the answer to the question, and guessed the rest from there. It's just like I said; what Kougaiji asks of you, he gets no matter what."

"That's not entirely true," she argued, pushing away from the window sill and moving back into the room.

Sanzo remained where he stood, turning to face her back. The anger was slowly pushing away any concerns he might have had for her tears, and fueled him to get to the matter that truly was the problem. "Do you want him?"

"What?" she exclaimed, whirling around so fast her braids nearly whipped into her eyes.

"You heard me. Do you want him, Kougaiji? It's not a terribly hard question to answer, Yaone."

Her lips moved, but nothing came out for several seconds. She shook her head, pressing her hand to her forehead as she back another step away from him. "I can't believe you're asking me that," she said in a low voice that was edging very close to being angry. Sanzo finally moved away from the wall to stand before her growing ire. He could deal with her anger, it was something he understood. Her being hurt and upset were things he didn't know how to handle. "It was never about Peeraj, was it? You were never mad about that."

"At first, yes. It wasn't until I thought it through that I realized why you would do that. You want Kougaiji, and therefore will do anything to get him."

"That is complete bullshit, Sanzo!" she finally snapped, eyes blazing as the anger finally washed over her. "Perhaps that's the way your twisted sense of reasoning operates, but it's not mine. How dare you even say something like that!"

"There's nothing twisted about the logic," he replied, his voice rising just a bit. "It's been this way since day one with you! If Kougaiji ordered you to give up the name of who you were fucking, would you?"

"Why are you-,"

"Answer the damn question, Yaone!"

Yaone flinched as he shouted at her, one hand raising to wipe the tears away with almost violent swipes. "No, I wouldn't," she whispered. "You know I wouldn't, Sanzo. I was raped and tortured for it by Zakuro, and I never gave your name to him. I've had to sit quietly while Dokugakuji tried to get it from me, and I've not once said your name. It doesn't matter who asks for it, I'm not saying. This is ours, not anyone else's."

Sanzo remained staring at her tear drenched eyes, and he wanted very badly in that moment to just accept what she said and let it drop. But, this particular scab was already picked at and bleeding freely. No amount of bandaging in the world could stop it. It had to stop itself. "You expect me to believe you after you confessed to betraying our location, especially when I'd asked that you not do it? How gullible do you think I am?"

She shook her head, her fingers running through her bangs before taking a tight grip that had to hurt. "I don't know what I expected," she replied honestly, sniffling a little. "I guess... I guess I expected that being honest with you about that would make things better. I thought that was what the wedge between us really was, but it looks like I'm wrong."

"It was never the wedge. It was the sign pointing to it. Answer my first question. Do. You. Want. Him?"

Yaone shook her head again, meeting his gaze head on. She was opened to him, every emotion from the outrage to the softer affections, could be seen there. Silently, he willed her to answer him, tell him once and for all the truth in regards to her precious lord. He almost screamed at her when she closed her eyes, shoulders slumping a little in defeat. "I used to," she whispered, so softly he barely heard to words.

"What?" he demanded. He'd heard her, he just needed her to say it again to prove he wasn't going crazy.

"I used to, back when he first saved me," she repeated more firmly. "It was more an infatuation or a fantasy than anything else, never anything tangeable. Kougaiji was... my knight in shining armor. But, that same knight only ever returned my affections during my fantasies. In realy life, he was a prince and I was his servant and... I got sick of pretending that it could feasibly happen. It took nearly a year to realize I really wasn't in love with Kougaiji, just the idea he represented to me."

"And what idea was that?"

"Safety. Protection. All of this happened shortly after my father was killed. Lord Kougaiji was about the only sane, constant thing in my world at the time, so it really isn't a surprise that I imagined I truly loved him." She moved to sit at the small table, resting her elbows on the surface as she raked her fingers back through her bangs again. "Kougaiji... doesn't make me feel any of the things you do, Sanzo."

Sanzo's heart was speeding just a bit, his fingers itching to touch the bared curve of her shoulder, forget his line of questioning and just giver her the physical contact they both wanted. They weren't shouting at each other anymore, but the anger was still sizzling in the air, waiting for the match to be dropped so it could ignite again. And he was the one holding that match now, his happy, pyromaniacal ass getting ready to drop it with the next question. "What about now?"

Yaone gave him a wary, confused look, her hands dropping to the table top again. Her fingers curled against the wooden surface, as if preparing for this next round of battle. "I don't understand. Are you talking about us?"

"No. I'm talking about Kougaiji. Do you want him now that he's showing interest in you?"

A soft snarl broke her throat as she stood abruptly, nearly toppling the chair over. "Goddamn it, Sanzo! I thought I just answered this question!"

"You didn't," he answered firmly, moving closer to the table as she circled around to the other side, her hands on her hips as she shook her head in frustration. "You told me you used to want him, you never said anything about it now. You can't stand there and tell me you haven't noticed how he looks at you! You're either blind or you're lying if you say otherwise!"

"I _just now_ noticed the other day," she growled, slamming her palms on the table as she leaned over. The glaring in her eyes darkened the color to a rich brown, and the intensity in that look nearly made him take a step back. She was more pissed off than he'd ever seen her. "Before he tried to kiss me, I honestly hadn't been aware of it!"

"KISS you! That fucking son of a-,"

"_TRIED_ to," she repeated, her voice carrying over his snarls of rage. He barely heard her though, he was so wrapped up in tracking that cock sucker down and punching a hole clear through his skull. "Kougaiji tried to kiss me. He didn't. Stop acting like a child!"

"Did you stop him, or were you interupted?" he asked, fists balling at his sides. Something had to die. NOW. That bastard prince almost put his lips on _his_ girlfriend! Kougaiji had to know by now she was seeing someone, so the excuse that he didn't know Yaone was taken was fucked right through a cheese grater. What the hell kind of man made a move on someone else's girlfriend?

"We were interupted, but that doesn't-," Her jaw snapped shut, eyes narrowing as he cut her off by slamming his own hands on the table and leaning closer to her. The fierce tension between their glares was ready to explode at any minute now. This was either going to make things better or end things in a spectacular display of pyrotechnics.

"-And if you weren't interupted, would you have stopped him?" Sanzoe demanded.

A heavy silence fell in response to the question. Yaone's lips pressed together tightly, her breasts rising and falling with her sharp, shallow breaths. He could see the fine tremor running down her arms, heard the scrape of her nails as they dug into the wood harder. Slowly, she shook her head, the anger in her eyes starting to fade to a near hopeless sadness. "It doesn't matter what I say, does it?" she asked bitterly. "No matter how many different ways I say it, you won't believe me."

"You left me for him," he replied with just as much bitterness and anger in his voice. "I asked you to stay. Just a simple request between lovers. And you walked away from me. For _him_. Tell me you wouldn't have done the exact opposite of our roles were reversed. Tell me you wouldn't have obeyed Kougaiji if he'd asked you to stay."

"He has asked me. On several occassions. And I've ignored the order more times than I care to count, just so I could spend at least a few hours with you. I had my reasons for leaving that night, and it wasn't to hurt you ego. I had things I had to get done because it is my _job_ to do them. Just as it is your _job_ to kill the youkai who threaten you. Do you honestly think that if I were given the choice I would have left you? Do you think if this struggle between youkai and humans didn't set us on opposite sides of the playing field I wouldn't be with you more regularly? We've both risked so much for this, and you're going to throw it away over something so stupid as jealousy?"

Sanzo remained silent to this, still meeting her glare with one of his own. Something was breaking inside him, he could feel it and... he didn't like it at all. Breaking wasn't what he did. Whatever it was, it was pushing hard and cracking at his wall of anger and hurt (yes, he could admit to feeling that now), chipping away at it like sunlight on ice. He shifted a little, struggling with the uncomfortable feel of this new thing. "You didn't answer me," he finally stated, his voice low and controled more than he thought he could have managed. "If you weren't interupted, would you have given him your cheek or kissed him full on?"

"I don't know, Sanzo," she whispered back. "It was happening so suddenly, and I didn't have time to think that far ahead. I can't honestly answer that for you, and I know that's going to hurt you. I can't help it, and I'm sorry for that."

He let out the breath he hadn't known was locked in his chest. He shook his head, allowing his hair to fall in front of his eyes and shield them. Right then, he didn't want her to see his eyes and know just how much that really did cut him. She didn't know? Bullshit! Unless that bastard prince threw himself on her in a crazed fit of passion, she had to have known his intentions. He'd wanted her to say yes, she would have turned away. He wanted anything but the truth that she didn't know how she would have reacted. "What's to say you don't change your mind again?" he forced himself to ask, knowing that he'd moved beyond picking at the wound at this point. He was now happily slicing it open further and rubbing gravel in it as he went.

"Come again?" she demanded, the softened anger now hardening to a dangerous point again. He didn't want her shouting, and he didn't want to shout back at her, but he had to know. He had to pick this thing to pieces so that he couldn't put it back together again and cause trouble with it.

"How do I know you won't suddenly change your mind about him?"

"What do you want from me, Sanzo, physical evidence?" she demanded sharply. "I can't give you any physical evidence to prove I'm only with you. All I can do is reassure you with words that you ARE the only man I'm interested in. You have to just trust me on this."

Trust... Her words cracked through his anger even further, lending to the confusion in his mind. He'd never been this conflicted before in his life, and he had no idea how to deal with it. Something was urging him to just drop it, hold her and forget the jealousy and pain. It was urging him to listen to her and let it go. Trust her... "Like I trusted you not to say shit about Peeraj?" he sneered, falling back on his ever reliable anger. It was the one thing that made sense to him at this point, and about the only thing he knew to use for this moment.

Her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. Sanzo refused to look away, drinking in the frustration and the stab of hurt in her eyes. He felt strangely justified by the last, a little triumphant that she now felt a fraction fo what he did. He wasn't prepared for her snarled, "Asshole." And, he certainly wasn't expecting her to whirl away for the door.

Panic took over, quickly stomping down the jealous rage inside him. Shit, she was leaving! He didn't want her to go, or at least not to leave like this. Sanzo caught up with her before he realized he was moving, grabbing her arm as she reached for the lock. Yaone's outraged words disappeared as she gasped, startled, when he spun her around and reacted without thinking. He kissed her. Hard. He pushed her back against the still locked door, his tongue pushing between her lips to swipe inside her mouth in long, wet movements. He tasted her against his lips while his tongue continued to search for whatever he was looking for in her mouth, one of his hands moving up her back to cup her head, tilting her better for the brutal kiss.

He didn't stop until they were both breathing hard and her hands were digging into his silk covered hips. He pulled back, forehead pressed to hers, and looked down the tight line of their bodies so close together. Lust and the need to make things better rode him as he watched the subtle shifting of their hips, the heavy panting that rubbed her breasts against him, the slight gasps that trembled from her parted lips. Her hands shook as they circled to his front, finger tips teasing below the belt on his jeans before moving up over the leather. She didn't stop until her hands were around his neck, curling around the ends of his hair. Even with her lashes lowered to the point where he couldn't see her eyes, he could tell the tears were there again. And yet, her hips continued to roll against his, nearly tearing a groan from his throat at the teasing contact between layers of clothing.

"Do you want to stop?" he asked, his voice harsh and a little deeper as one of his hands circled around her hip to her ass, squeezing just enough to make her moan as it rubbed their hips together harder. She bit her lower lip... and shook her head. Sanzo moved in then, pressing closer to her and returning to the bruising kiss he'd initiated before. Yaone responded to him in like kind, a low moan of pleasure vibrating from her throat and into his own mouth. He drank it down, eager to end their fight however he could.

There was a slight tearing sound as the slit in her skirt ripped higher up, the result of him lifting her under her thighs so she could wrap her legs around his waist. No chain garters met his hands, just the thigh highs that were quickly being rolled down her long legs. Their kiss never broke, their mouths straining and working to take more of the other. A sharp tug on his jeans was his only indication that she had jerked his belt off, the buckle thudding unnoticed on the floor behind him. She gasped before giving a low, desire drenched moan as he finally broke his mouth away to suck and lick at the spot just beneath her ear, the one that caused her to make such delicious sounds for him.

Sanzo pushed away from the door, supporting her weight easily and with the intent of making it to one of the beds. Ideally, he would have prefered his own... but Hakkai's was closer, and the green eyed man wasn't there to protest their abuse to it. Her boots thudded behind him as she kicked them off, her stocking clad heels digging into his ass as he lowered her to the bed, letting her tight thighs take him down with her. The clashing emotions still pressed agains the back of his mind and drove him to move quicker in getting rid of clothing. Her limiters came off, along with the gloves. A hiss escaped him at the sudden wash of youkai energy all over him. He'd forgotten how it stung whenever he was touching her and she removed her limiters. That stinging sensation was quickly over run by her eager fingers working between their shifting bodies for the zipper of his jeans.

The minute her hand disappeared inside his pants was when he finally gave voice to his passion with a choked back cry, his hips surging closer to her hand. "Yaone.." he rasped out, ripping through the buttons that kept her trapped in her dress before yanking it roughly over her head and tossing it aside. His shirt, sleeves and jeans were quickly followed by the remainders of her clothing. It was the contact of skin on skin that finally pushed all the confusions aside and allowed him to concentrate on making her feel very, very good. He wanted her to forget the fight. He wanted her just to remember what was good about their relationship. He wanted this to be his apology, and he wanted it to be damned good.

Sanzo focused on the areas he knew drove her mad. The joining of her neck and ear, her breasts, the small of her back, between her legs... his hands and lips moved across all of this until she was panting and pleading with him in gasping breaths. Her back arched and his mouth sucked on her curved neck at the first thrust against her, his hands supporting her back as she dug her claws into his shoulders, pulling him as close as he could get without actually crawling inside her. Her hands groped for his, taking their entwinted fingers and shifting so that he now pinned them over her head, his nails and her claws pressing in near pain against the opposite flesh. All the while they moved, groaned, gasped and demanded more from each other, he couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes. He kept his face buried between her shoulder and neck, kissing the soft skin there as an excuse not to see the truth there. Even as he strove to make her forget their earlier emotions by drowning her in far more pleasant ones, he knew the truth.

No amount of amazing sex would fill the void growing between them.


	38. Chapter 38

AUTHOR'S NOTE: So... part two of chapter 37. The Kougaiji scene is fondly dedicated to Redbrunja. Here's your retribution!

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Well... THAT was a wasted evening, Gojyo thought grumpily as he took the stairs up to his room quietly. It was about eleven at night, and he and a particularly sweet young thing had decided to make an early evening of it. Everything had been going great right up until then. His pockets were loaded, he'd found his date early and made sure she never saw the bottom of her glass all night and he was all geared up for spending a night with company that didn't snore, shoot at him or toss and turn. That is... until they got to his date's house. And she told him she was a virgin. This was all topped when the door had opened and her father had come to see who was talking on his doorstep.

Gojyo cringed again at that little bomb on his horny mood. He could have dealt with the virgin issue. There were PLENTY of other ways they could have amused each other without compromising her, uh... values. But a curious, sleepy and slightly protective father? Yeah... Despite what the bitchy blonde monk might say, he wasn't stupid. So, he'd done the very wise thing and given her dad his good-boy smile, shook his hand and said good night without even a peck on her cheek. He was just damned glad his hard on had disappeared as soon as he heard the door knob twisting.

Sighing, he finished smoking outside the room he was stuck sharing with Goku, glancing down the hall each way before dropping the butt into the potted plant by the door. Hey, cigarettes were nature friendly... mostly. Besides, judging from the stubs of other smokes in that same pot, he wasn't the first, nor would he be the last. Gojyo tried the knob and muttered a healthy string of curses when he found it locked. Goddamn monkey! What, did he think someone was gonna break in and steal all the food in his pack? Fat chance of that happening. One bad move toward the protein bars, and that kid would knock the dumb ass out without even blinking. He knew, he'd tried foolishly once at the very start of their journey. His poor bladder, liver and lungs remembered that fierce punch, too.

He fished the key out of his back pocket, inserted it and felt the click vibrate through the knob as he turned it, slipping in as quietly as possible into the darkened room. Not that stealth was really required when bunking with the primate, it was more out of an unconscious consideration that he even did it. He sat on the edge of the unoccupied bed, tossing his coat onto the floor on one side before unlacing his boots to let them thunk off his feet. Socks were tossed aside, pockets emptied of cigarettes, lighter and room key, thus completing his routine for nights that he came back late. Or early depending on how you chose to look at it.

Outside, the wind that had threatened to mess up his perfect mane of hair suddenly kicked up, whistling shrilly through cracks in the panes of glass and causing the loose pieces the shift and groan in protest at the pressure. Gojyo curled on his side and listened to the sounds of the wind howling as he waited for the wakefulness that liquor caused to wear off enough and allow him a bit of sleep before the holy douche bag came and wome them all up. Sighing a little, he closed his eyes, one hand curling into the pillow to clutch it tightly. It was a habit he'd had since he was a kid, and one of the reasons he had a helluva time sleeping when they camped. For some reason, he always slept better with his fist lost in a pillow. Granted, he usually ended up sprawling during the night, but to actually get to sleep to begin with...

His eyes opened partially at the shifting on the bed across from him, followed closely by a frustrated little sigh. He knew that sigh, and it wasn't a monkey's meatnbun dreaming sigh either. A soft, animal chirp in the darkness confirmed his suspicions that somehow his rooming partners had switched. And, if he was any judge of Hakkai Sighs, this one meant that his friend couldn't sleep because of something bothering him. "The wind's really picked up," he muttered, trying to draw himself from the hazy realm of sleep.

"Are you awake, Gojyo?" Hakkai whispered back.

"Mm... sorta. Just started dozing off when you began tossing around."

"Oh. Sorry, Gojyo."

Gojyo heaved in a breath, which turned into a full blown yawn as he rolled over to face Hakkai. The green eyed man was sitting up in bed, staring at him with an unusually open look. The naked concern and worry in those brilliant green eyes was enough to wake Gojyo up completely. What the hell had happened... oh... yeah. He remembered. It was that pansy-assed bishop guy and his steroid loving hench man that was bothering Hakkai. "Look, man," he said, his voice still mumbled. Apparently all but his tongue was awake, seeing as it didn't want to work properly. "Don't worry so much about what happened earlier."

Hakkai's eyebrows rose, eyes silently telling him that he didn't understand the statement.

"About that kid," Gojyo elaborated, the sheets rustling a little as he sat up. "You weren't yourself. Well... Actually, I guess that kinda _was_ you."

"I'm not worrying," Hakkai said quietly, smiling and with a far off expression on his face as he stared at his folded hands. "But, it was rather disgraceful behavior on my part."

Gojyo rolled his eyes and reached for his cigarettes. Hell, he was awake and Hakkai wanted to talk obviously. He lit up and let the nicotine's bitter taste bitch slap his senses into full alertness. "That's not what I meant," he said around the stick between his lips, puffing the release of smoke around it as he adjusted the pillow more comfortably between himself and the headboard of the bed.

"Perhaps it's because we're so similar that we don't mesh well," his companion continued to muse with a touch of sadness to his voice.

This time, Gojyo actually made a scoffing noise, shaking his head as he ashed into the tray by his bed. "Who, you and that Hazel guy? Gimme a break, 'Kai! How in the hell are you two alike?"

Hakkai sighed heavily, as if resigned on some point internally and shrugged before giving him a watered down version of his usual smile. "I suppose you're right, Gojyo."

"Goddamn straight I'm right! I mean seriously, Hakkai, that guy bothers the shit outta me. He's got this... I don't know... creepy vibe to him. It's weird."

"Mm... that sounds about right." Gojyo glanced over at the other man, arching a brow questioningly. For some reason, he didn't think Hakkai was talking to him anymore. It sounded as if he were answering his own mental questions. A little chuckle followed by a brighter smile and light crinkle of green eyes greeted him as Hakkai continued. "But still, I don't think you're all _that_ bad a person."

What the... "Dude, who the hell are you talking about NOW?" Gojyo demanded suspiciously. It sounded to him like Hakkai had just insulted him, and if he was just insulted then, by the gods, he wanted a chance to get even!

Hakkai's warm laugh filled the air softly at his confusion before it faded away into that distant smile that said the green eyed man was definately not paying attention to the conversation. "Gojyo... Have you noticed?"

"Noticed what, that you're getting loopier by the day?" he returned sarcastically, still trying to decide whether or not he'd truly been insulted or if it was Hakkai being spacey about the conversation again.

A gentle smile and a little twitch of silent laughter through slender shoulders was the response to his quip. "No, what I meant was, with the exception of Sanzo... Hazel has never once used any of our names. I would imagine he knows them by now."

Gojyo was about to inhale only to stop midway as the meaning behind Hakkai's words slowly sank in. Oh... now everything was making sense to his sleep starved mind. Hazel only called Sanzo by name, as if the foul tempered monk was the only one worth addressing as a person. The rest of them had little pet names. Hakkai was 'that healer fella'. Goku was 'that little fella'. And he... actually, he really wasn't sure what kind of 'fella' he was, come to think of it. Not that it bothered him very much. Just so long as the title of Little Fella didn't get reassigned to him. He didn't want THAT getting spread around to the ladies!

He took a slow, thoughtful drag on his cigarette as he pushed the thought process further, crimson eyes narrowing in the darkness. He understood now why Hakkai would say he wasn't all that bad. He was a half breed, part human. Out of the three people in their happy little group with youkai blood, he had the least amount in his veins. It made sense from Hakkai's logical way of thinking that his only being partial youkai would make him more acceptable in the bishop's eyes.

Puffing out the smoke in a thin, cloudy stream, Gojyo quirked his gaze and a half-cocked smile at his friend. "Hate to break it to you, Hakkai, but I think he probably hates me the most. I'm a walking, talking, drinking and fucking insult to his kind."

Another touch of bitter laughter came from Hakkai as he tucked his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his head on top of his knees. "Come to think of it, your former room mate, Banri, had said something about youkai and humans. He said this may be called a paradise, but there was a serious youkai abuse problem. He thought the youkai should teach humans a lesson."

Gojyo let out a scoffing laugh that was laced with more acrid smoke. Fucking Banri... "Yeah, that sounds like something the dickwad would say."

"Maybe this calamity, the Minus Wave, was what he was talking about. Maybe that someday is already here."

"Dude, you're giving him way too much credit. Banri liked to blow hot air, as well as other things, up his own ass. He had a lotta bark for a little dog, know what I'm saying? So, if you're even suggesting that maybe he knew this was gonna happen..."

Hakkai shook his head slowly before running his fingers back through his short hair with a slightly more bitter smile to his lips. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure where this line of thought was going. I guess I was just talking to get it out."

Gojyo waved away the excuse, settling himself back down on the bed so that he was on his side, one elbow propped on the bed so he could rest his head on his hand. "See, I know what your problem is. You're tired and you're not sleeping in your own bed. Not that I mind your company over Goku's, but why the hell _are_ you sleeping in here anyway?"

"Oh, that! Well, a very nice girl from the town begged an audience with Sanzo, and I didn't think it appropriate to be in the room while she consulted his wisdom." He finished his statement with a bright smile and an embarassed rub to the back of his neck.

That... was such bullshit. Gojyo arched a brow just as a knowing smirk came to his lips. "Oh, yeah? Did this very nice girl happen to have a very impressive chest and legs to worship for hours?"

"Mm... possibly. I can't say as I was really looking."

"Ha! 'Kai, you've gotta let me call him out on this one. I mean, the prick kicked you out of your room just to get laid! Please, don't make me play nice in the morning." He hoped by the Merciful Goddess' tits that Hakkai would cave in to the pleading and the puppy dog eyes he tossed across the room at him.

Unfortunately, Hakkai was immune to all things cute and puppy like, the cold bastard. "Oh, I don't think it would be wise, Gojyo, to press him in the morning. If I'm not mistaken, Sanzo is _not_ having a very good night."

That earned him Gojyo's undivided attention as well as (damn himself for admitting it) concern. As much as he disliked the monk, he had to admit that he'd not seen Sanzo more relaxed than after spending some time in Yaone's tender care. Lucky bastard, he added grumpily. For someone as closed off, easily irritated and tight assed as Sanzo, having someone who you could turn to was a rare and wonderful thing. It was something to hold on to and, knowing Sanzo's love for detachment, it really wasn't a surprise to him that there was trouble in paradise. "Any idea who started it and what it was about?"

Hakkai shook his head, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "I couldn't hear very well, but they were definately shouting at each other. I think she raised her voice first, which probably means he started it."

"Figures," he sneered, crushing the butt of his cigarette out brutally. "Goddamn monk just doesn't know a good thing when it drops in his lap. That woman's either got brass balls to stand up to him or endless patience for his emotional bullshit."

"But, Gojyo, we all have emotional bullshit. Even Goku does, and I'm sure she's the type of person to realize this."

"Still, it's just plain dumb to let it ruin about the only good deal you've got going on this fucking journey! You can't just let go of everything. If you do, you stop being human."

Silence met him in response, a gap that lasted so long he turned to look at Hakkai just to make sure the other man was still awake. His eyes narrowed suspiciously at Hakkai's wide eyed, awed gaze. "What?" he snapped.

"Nothing, just... You're correct, and I think that's what Sanzo's problem is. He's trying to convince himself that he isn't attached and doesn't need the comfort she offers. I think perhaps she's been fighting this battle against his internal defenses for quite some time and is starting to grow tired from it."

"That's part of it," Gojyo conceded. "I think the big part is that he's scared shitless and doesn't know what to do about it. So, he does everything he can to destroy what he's afraid of in hopes that it won't scare him anymore."

"Goodness, you're awfully profound tonight!"

Chuckling, Gojyo shook out his hair before lying flat on the mattress. "Yeah, what can I say? I have my moments of genius, usually when a woman's involved. Look, don't worry about it, okay? Things happen for a reason. And who knows, maybe this is something he needs to lose just to realize how much he really does want it."

"I suppose. You do realize, of course, that this means he's going to be in rare form tomorrow morning."

Cringing at the thought and groaning, Gojyo rubbed his burning eyes and drawled, "I know. Gods, I can already feel the divine retribution of that damn fan on me now!"

"I'll stop before we leave town for extra beer. And ice packs."

A grin broke across his face as he rolled away from Hakkai to resume his former position; Pillow bunched under his head, fingers curled around a corner of it, and eyes closed. Sheets shifted as Hakkai layed back on his own bed, the mattress creaking faintly to his movements. "I'll love you forever for that, Hakkai. In a strictly heterosexual way, of course."

"Of course! You'd make a terrible wife anyway, Gojyo."

"Yeah, I... hey! You son of a-,"

"Goodnight, Gojyo."

Grumbling the rest of his reply, Gojyo punched his pillow a couple times before settling back and closing his eyes again. Sometimes, he truly wished Hakkai wasn't so damned quick with his wit. It was just plain unfair to win every turn of the hand!

----------

She was gone again. Kougaiji grunted as he slammed his fist hard into a training dummy, the chain restricting it from the ceiling creaking in response to his anger. He'd just gone to check on Yaone and make sure she was comfortable and resting. He'd even braved the gaping stares of the kitchen staff in order to bring her a tray of food himself! And, gods above, what did he find upon entering her room when there was no answer to his knocking? A darkened room and an untouched bed.

An enraged snarl broke from his lips, followed by another punch that was guaranteed to splinter ribs had his opponent been made of more than leather and sawdust. That explained why Dokugakuji had been uneasy during dinner. At first, he'd attributed it to the fact that things were still tense between himself and Lirin after her latest brush with danger. The more he'd thought about it though, the more he realized that the swordsman hadn't met his eyes at all over dinner. So... Dokugakuji had known from the start that Yaone wasn't doing what she was supposed and resting.

It... hurt. Her sneaking off, injured to the point where she shouldn't be walking around, to see her _lover_ (and, oh, how that word was bitter in his mind!), cut him deeply. It felt like a betrayal, even though he logically knew there was nothing for her to betray. Every time he tried, it was either the wrong moment or they were interupted, both of which added more to his frustrations. He'd been hoping tonight that maybe he could tell her, and she would at last understand. Even if she rejected him completely, he just wanted to get it off his chest. He loved her, and because of that he wanted her to be happy, even if being happy meant she chose the other man.

With the image of Hakkai kissing Yaone passionately burning in his mind, his next series of punches turned particularly viscious and fast. The bag jerked, twisted and moved as if trying to get away from him, but his reflexes were honed to near blinding speed, thus allowing him to follow it easily and continue working out his aggravations. It was especially relieving to imagine that bag was a certain green-eyed youkai gasping in pain with blood smeared across his lips. A cold smile graced Kougaiji's lips as he placed a well aimed upper cut to that invisible face. He caught the bag as it swung back at him, pausing to catch his breath as well as let the air cool the sweat drenching the bare skin of his upper body.

"Whoa... that was one heck of a punch, big brother!"

Kougaiji tossed a narrow eyed glare at his sister, who was sitting in the door way of the training room with an expression of gleeful awe on her face. "It's midnight, Lirin. Go to bed," he ordered sharply, wiping the sweat from his brow with one hand as he moved over to the water container to one side. He poured himself a cup of the room temperature water, draining it back quickly before refilling it to sip more slowly at the second one.

"But, I don't wanna," she complained, jumping to her feet and trotting over to him. "Besides, you're not sleepin' either. Why should I?"

"Because I said so, that's why," he snapped, taking some small satisfaction in watching her smile waver a little. What didn't she understand about him being angry with her? Lirin had always been a handful, and he'd let it slide for far too long. Before, things hadn't been so dangerous for the playful young princess, but with these humans, or shikigami, or whatever the hell they were... Yaone was a much more skilled fighter than Lirin and she'd nearly been taken down herself by them. That combined with the fact that the dragon breeder had just given him a report stating that her dragon would be out of commision for longer than expected due to weakening in the wing joints... To say he was pissed was putting it a little mildly.

"But... big brother..."

"Don't start with me, Lirin. I'm not in the mood to listen."

Green eyes widened even further as the beginning glistening of tears surfaced. Kougaiji bitch slapped the urge to soften his tone and hug her, tickle her... do anything to stop those tears from falling. No, not this time. She'd finally pushed his patience over its limits, and now she'd just have to deal with the consequences like an adult. "Are you really mad at me, Kougaiji?" she sniffled.

Kougaiji growled in his throat and stalked angrily over to his robe, throwing it around himself before tying the belt securely at his waist. "What does it matter if I am? I've been mad at you in the past and you've not given a damn."

"It _does_ matter," she shouted after him as he began to walk away. Bells tinkling told him she was running after him. He jerked his arm away as she tried to grab him and stop him from leaving. "Please, don't hate me, too!"

"I don't hate you, Lirin. I'll never hate you, but you've stepped far over the line this time."

"I won't do it again, I promise!"

"I've heard that before," he sneered as he shoved the door open roughly and stalked off into the cool night. The training facilities were housed separately from Houtu Castle, closer to the soldier barracks for their ease of use. Lirin continued to run after him, her shorter legs working double time to try and match his longer strides.

"But I mean it this time," she cried, finally catching up to jog by his side. "Honestly, big brother, I-,"

"Your dragon is injured and unable to fly for at least another three months because of your mistreating him. Running off forced us to chase you down and put us behind on our own work. It also was the reason Yaone almost was killed, and it's also the reason _you_ almost died with her. You don't think about anyone other than yourself, Lirin! How do you think Yaone would feel knowing she didn't get to you fast enough? And how do you think Dokugakuji would feel discovering you dead on the road like a dog? What about how I would feel losing my only sister because she's too foolish to think before she acts?"

"I... I didn't think..."

"You clearly _didn't_ think, but you knew. You knew you were disobeying me everytime you stepped out of those gates and walked over to the dragon pen. Do you think I like keeping you trapped in this place? Lirin, if I had my way, I'd let you run about as free as you wish, but damn it all, it isn't safe for you to do that! Humans will kill you on sight. Not all youkai know you or side with us. They would capture you, torture you, rape you and kill you. Other youkai might recognize you as my sister and use you to get to me by holding you prisoner. Do you understand what I'm saying, Lirin?" He turned his head to pin her down with the full weight of his glare, ignoring that voice that once again urged him to be gentle with her.

Lirin hung her head, sniffling loudly as tears ran down her cheeks. "I get it," she mumbled. "I understand, Kougaiji, but... I hate it here. Everyone hates me here."

"Then obviously you don't understand what I just said, Lirin," he continued, his harsh tone dropping in volume but not intensity. "I don't tell you to do things out of hatred. I do it because, to me, you are the most important thing in my life. If something happened to you... I'd be lost. I don't think I'd survive it, and I know Yaone and Dokugakuji wouldn't either. You don't realize that there _are_ people who love you dearly, and you don't realize how much it frightens and hurts us when you pull stuff like this. Now do you understand why I'm mad?"

All the while he spoke, her eyes had gone from miserable to sudden clarity of understanding. Finally, it seemed, his words were sinking into that thick skull of hers. Lirin ventured a hesitate smile and a soft, sniffled giggle. "So... am I more important than Doku?" she asked, tentatively trying to ease his mood.

Kougaiji couldn't stop the quick quirk that came and went from his lips. Damn it... no matter how angry he was with her, she always seemed to worm her way back into his good graces. "Easily," he replied.

"Even Yaone?"

"Well..." he pretended to think, a full out grin coming to his face as he caught the punch she was aiming for his gut. "Yes, of course you are!" She laughed as he wrestled her in front of him, arms wrapping around from behind to hug her.

"An' you're not mad at me anymore?" she pressed, her back stiffening just a little as she tried to angle her neck around to see his face.

His good humor instantly sobered a little at the query and made him look down at her, arching a brow in question. "That depends. Do you promise to do what I tell you from now on?"

"If it means you won't be this mad at me ever again... you bet!"

"Good, then tomorrow you'll report to the dragon pen. I hear we just lost one of the stable hands so they'll need an extra person to help clean the stalls."

"WHAT! Grr... alright, fine! But I'm not gonna like it."

Kougaiji grinned down at her and knew it was twisted with wicked glee judging by the glare she shot him before sticking her tongue out. He ruffled her hair and felt his smile widen as she grabbed his wrist in both of hers, tugging it away from her disorderly waves. "You're not supposed to enjoy a punishment," he replied. Inwardly, a tiny thread of relief fluttered through him. He could only hope that Lirin would finally listen to him, but only time would tell if his anger toward her made a lasting impression. For now, one frustration out of the myriad was resolved. If only the others could be dealt with just as quickly.

----------

Sanzo stared up at the ceiling of the room, one arm draped across his forehead while the other rested on his bare stomach. The electric glow of the alarm clock across the room mockingly told him it was almost one in the fucking morning, and that he had yet to get any kind of sleep. He wanted to pin the blame on a bout of insomnia, but in truth the reason he couldn't sleep was curled up next to him. Usually, the sexual afterglow was something he'd come to enjoy. It was a time when he could truly relax and just enjoy her company. He liked to feel the soft trace of her fingertips along his stomach as her head rested on his shoulder, sweaty tangles of her hair curling around the arm he normally had around her back. It was one of those times where words weren't required between them, a time where just simple touches conveyed everything.

Tonight, however, as soon as they'd finished, she'd lightly pushed at his shoulder to urge him off of her and curled on her side away from him, tugging the blankets up over herself. That hurt deeper than any words she could have shouted at him. She'd known the entire time, just as he had, that great sex was not going to make everything disappear. Her curling on her side, back to him, was her way of rejecting him, letting him know that everything was not going to be okay in the morning. At first, he'd been angry over her blatant physical rejection of him, but that anger had quickly turned into pain that was chased down with a healthy shot of guilt.

He'd quickly killed the guilt, reminding himself that he'd asked her if she wanted to stop. She was just as to blame as he was for the state they were now in. He'd given her the opportunity to stop it before it happened and she hadn't. Granted, the sex they'd just had was perhaps the most physically gratifying (as well labor intensive, he added as muscles complained of over use) out of all of their past encounters, it hadn't done what he'd originally thought it would in patching the gap between them. If anything it was worse than ever, intensified over the two inch gap between his arm and her stiff back. He turned his head just enough to look at the back of her head, eyes along the bareness of her neck and upper back area.

Yaone's breathing was slow and easy, and had been so for several hours. She'd shifted a little, but nothing more than someone who was sound asleep would do. Hell, she'd been like that almost as soon as she turned her back to him. It was irritating to him that she could sleep so easily with everything that was going on between them. If he was going to be kept over all this bullshit, then, goddamn it, she should be, too! This just added to his theory that really didn't like to play fair. She should be awake and agonizing over this with him.

Even as he thought that however, the urge to just turn over and curl up behind her still came through loud and clear. He wanted to take back those two damned inches she'd put between them and force her to understand what he wasn't able to say. He was sorry. He was sorry for shouting at her, sorry for not trusting her completely, sorry for accusing her, just... sorry. It was difficult to admit to himself that perhaps he'd been wrong about everything in regards to her. He was just coming to terms with that himself, there was no way he would voice that to her yet. So... his only option had been a physical demonstration, which obviously had gotten shot to shit.

Slowly, Sanzo reached out, his breath stuck somewhere around the rapid beating of his heart. It was stupid to be nervous about touching her, but he was. He tried to rationalize it away as not wanting to wake her up, but he knew better than that. With a gentleness he hadn't really been aware he possessed, he traced a line with his fingertips from the back of her neck down to the small of her back, stopping just before her back curved into her ass. Her skin was soft here with only a few shiny scars to break the texture up. He knew all of those faint scars very well, had seen them when they were still fairly fresh.

A handful of old, white ones that had finally smoothed out to blend with her skin were claw marks. He knew, he had a few of them himself. There were a few newer, pinker marks that criss crossed from her shoulders to her waist, caused by whip strokes. If he ever got hold of the bastards that whipped her... He quickly stopped those violent thoughts from forming, his fingers instead exploring even fresher marks against her skin. Red marks from where his own nails had pressed a little too hard. Not enough to cause her serious pain, just enough to raise the skin in warm lines and send her that last little bit she'd needed into what he could tell was the most intense orgasm of her life.

She hadn't screamed, hadn't called his name... it was the utter lack of sound shortly before her back tensed and then bowed under his hands that told him just how powerful it had been. It hadn't been enough for her, though. It looked as if the only thing that would stitch the wound up would be the words he couldn't bring himself to say yet. Maybe he never would be able to say them, he didn't know. All he was certain of was that he wasn't ready to say them out loud because he wasn't one hundred percent behind them. It was meaningless to apologize unless it was meant with every fiber of his being. Yaone was perceptive. She would pick up on any little chink in his apology and everything would end right there.

Sanzo let his hand fall away reluctantly, his eyes still tracing over her back in longing for her to turn over on her sleep toward him, acknowledge the touch with a twitch of muscle or a change in breathing. It was pointless, though. She was pretty much dead to the world and hadn't felt a damn thing. He sighed, rubbing his stinging eyes that begged for the sleep his mind wouldn't let him have. Shit... he couldn't just lay here like this. He had to get up, move around... do something other than lie there and stare at her all night. Carefully, so he didn't wake her, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, reaching down for his clothing.

Once everything right down to the Maten Sutra and banishing gun was in place, he moved toward the door as quietly as possible, opening the door just wide enough to allow him out into the dimly lit hall. He shut the door and locked it from the outside, just in case anyone came poking around for him. The halls were lit with softened emergency lights, just bright enough to see by without being disruptive to the sleeping occupants. Sanzo took the stairs down to the main floor where it was darker. The staff was asleep, the common room closed for the evening, so there was no reason to have any light here except what the windows allowed. Windows... Sanzo headed for the back hall that looked out over the open courtyard behind the inn. He could open a window, smoke and think about what the hell to do.

He finally found a reasonable spot that let in a bright slice of moonlight over the rooftops and gave him a view of Goku and Gat still going at it in back. Neither of them showed any signs of slowing down or quitting, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. All it meant was Goku would sleep tomorrow in the Jeep and be a little cranky when he woke up. Nothing he couldn't handle, and if the kid got too whiny... well, that's what the fan was for. He turned his back on the scene, leaning against the window frame as he pulled out his cigarettes and slid one from the carton. The two continued to grunt and spar outside as he lit up, sucking down the nicotine smoothly before releasing it into the air.

So much for opening a window, he thought dryly as the wind that had kicked up swirled inside the inn and carried the grey smoke further down the hall. He watched it for several seconds, his mind still pouring over the fight and everything that had been said. Was it really so wrong of him to suspect she was sleeping with Kougaiji? Maybe. If she was and she was trying to keep it a secret from him, then why would she even mention him trying to kiss her? Unless it was to get him angry enough to end... His gut told him this was less than likely. Yaone was smart. She was clever and knew how to use her wit to her best advantage, but she wasn't devious. That kind of behavior was too malicious for her to come up with. If she wanted to end it, she would have just said so.

Okay, fine. She wasn't sleeping with Kougaiji. She'd been outright with him about the bastard prince making a move for her, which negated that claim. But, she'd also been bluntly honest about having loved him at one point in time, which led him back to his question about that; What was to say she didn't change her mind now that Kougaiji's attentions were directed toward her? He'd be damned if he let her go without a good fight, especially to Kougaiji. From his point of view, the man already had his chance with her and he foolishly didn't take what was offered. End of story, no second chance... Kougaiji shouldn't be allowed to feel anything toward her now other than emotions of comradery and lordly duty.

Sanzo blew the smoke from his mouth roughly, glaring at a spot on the wall across from him. Perhaps it would be for the best to just end it now while they were still on reasonably good terms. None of this was easy on her, either. She had just as much shit on her plate as he did, and now all this was piled on top of it. It had been so much easier in the beginning, before he started to really feel something for her. It still puzzled him what exactly it was that he felt. On some level, he could admit that maybe it was love, but the logical side of him told him it wasn't completely that. He'd asked Hakkai once, shortly after being brought back to Chang'an, if he'd do it all over again, knowing what the outcome would be. He'd answered by saying love wasn't something to pass up simply because things went sour. It was something to be fought for and to die for.

That right there cast doubt on whether or not love was what he felt toward her. Not that he wouldn't knock the motherfucker who tried to take her from him clean out or anything, but if she said it was over... he'd suck it up and deal. She was the only one with the power to end what they had. Despite all the shit they were still wading through, he wasn't anywhere near ready to calling it quits for anyone but her. If she said it, he would let her go. He knew without a doubt that he wouldn't stop her. He would rather she leave because it was her decision to rather than someone coming between them.

"Damn it," he muttered, staring down at the cherry red glow of his cigarette. Fuck this bullshit, all of it. What the hell was he thinking, saying he'd let her go? Yes, they were having problems. It was normal for most couples, or so he gathered from listening to Hakkai and Gojyo gossip. Just because things sucked at the moment didn't mean they wouldn't get better again. In his eyes, they'd already accomplished a pretty impossible feat by even getting this far with only a few minor bumps in the road. So, this happened to be a cliff rather than a bump. Big deal, Hakkai usually ended up driving them off a fucking cliff at least once a month. How he wasn't dead yet with the way that idiot drove was a miracle only the gods themselves could fathom. There were still plenty of doubts in regards to her, and chances were more than likely they would argue about those as well. But, for now, he at least could cross one problem off the list. He was about ninety percent certain Yaone was _not_ sleeping with Kougaiji.

His eyes flickered down the hall way at the light brushing of steps and the soft whisper of fabric. Another robed figure was emerging from the shadows, silvery blonde hair catching in the light from the rows of windows lining the hall. Great... his personal cheerleader was an insomniac as well. Sanzo's glare intensified at the soft, pleasant chuckle as Hazel came to stand next to him by the window, pale blue eyes focusing on the two still sparring in the courtyard.

"What in the world are you doin' out here, smokin' all by your lonesome?" Hazel inquired, eyes crinkling closed behind unveiling of his perfectly white teeth. Damn it... not even a goddamn poppy seed caught between the creases! The guy had to brush his teeth at least six times a day to maintain that level of spotlessness.

"I'd state the obvious, but that would just be stupid," he replied, saying a quick, silent prayer that whatever the hell the bishop was about to say would be quick and easy. He had better things to do than listen to that persistantly cheerful voice and stare at teeth that were too bright to be natural. Maybe they were all caps...

"You _can_ smoke in your room, y'know, Mr. Sanzo. I do believe your healer friend paid extra for that, ah... luxury."

"First off, he's not my friend. Second, you're bothering me. Either make your point or get lost."

Hazel chuckled, smoothing back his neatly combed hair as he leaned against the window sill. "My goodness, you're in a frightful mood! I actually do have somethin' I'd like to ask you."

Thrilling. How absolutely wonderful. Fighting the need to clench his fist (he didn't want to snap a perfectly good cigarette, after all) to restrain his irritation, he asked tightly, "What?"

"Will y'all join forces with me?"

"No." Well, apparently the gods had been listening. That was fairly quick, and very easy. No way in hell was he 'joining forces'. Not with Hazel, not with anyone. Besides the reasons of the bishop being too cheerful, too clingy and too touchy-feely, there were also his companions to consider. He didn't particularly want to walk to Houtu Castle, and combining their two teams would only piss Hakkai off royally. Gojyo would follow Hakkai out of loyalty, and Goku would be miserable and whine all the time without the other two. He shuddered, remembering how annoying his charge had been when Gojyo pulled his famous disappearing act to go get his ass kicked by Kami-Sama. No, 'joining forces' was so low on his Things To Do List it bordered on nonexistant.

Pale blue eyes rounded and blinked a couple times in shock at his abrupt response. Hazel straightened a little away from the window as he exclaimed, "Mercy! We can't even have ourselves a discussion?"

"I have my own reasons for heading west that don't involve you. Besides, I'm not exactly a team player." Sanzo immediately retracted his thoughts on the gods for once being merciful in regards to the conversation. It just figured this man wouldn't take no for an answer the first time around. Hazel was soon going to learn that besides 'die' and 'I'll kill you', 'no' was Sanzo's next favorite word.

"Well..." The slow, lazy drawl drew his glance over at the other man who shifted a little by the window, a little frown now replacing the smile. "I hate to state the obvious, Mr. Sanzo, but you're already workin' in a team. What's wrong with addin' a couple more player to the board?"

"We're not a team. We just are bound by rotten karma and shitty luck," he growled, taking another hit to try and quickly finish off the cigarette. Once it was gone, he wouldn't have an excuse to be out in the hall way and could return to his room. Some may have called it a hasty retreat. He called it showing restraint. By leaving, he was restraining himself from cracking the fan over the man's head. If Hazel was impressed before on how he wielded it, just wait until he got a first hand experience of what it was like. "They do come in handy every once in a while, though," he conceded after a pause.

"If you're lookin' for handy folk, you can't get much better than Gat and I," Hazel pressed. He flashed his smile and shrugged as he leaned against the window sill again, staring up at the full moon overhead. Sanzo's frown deepened ever so slightly as those eyes flinched slightly at the corners. Something passed over the surface that turned the smile into a mask. It was a darker emotion, but it was too quick to pinpoint exactly what it was.

Sanzo lifted the cigarette to his lips and continued to stare at the other man beside him, waiting for him to continue. It was obvious by him still being there that the bishop didn't think their conversation was over. The tip to his cigarette flared in the darkness seconds before the smokey, burning wash of nicotine filled his mouth and was sucked down into his lungs. It always stung, no matter how used to it he was, but the stinging sensation was always welcomed and received by his lungs. Finally, after several minutes went by and Hazel didn't say shit, Sanzo demanded, "Just what the hell do you want? If you're looking for more followers, you're wasting your breath."

"Ever consider the moon, Mr. Sanzo?" Hazel inquired back, his eyes still trained on that shining orb. That darkness veiled over his blue eyes again, sticking more firmly this time so that Sanzo, with a little start, recognized it. Agony. Pure, unadulterated agony. This was a man who'd gone through some heavy shit and come out alive but scarred from it. The type of pain he saw there was of a very personal nature, something he was certain Hazel had never meant for him to see, judging by the way he was usually so careful with his expressions. Even the near hostility toward Hakkai had been coldly calculated, intent on trying to push the green eyed youkai over the edge. This brief look into Hazel Grosse was the genuine article. There was no way someone could fake that much pain without having personally gone through it.

"What about it?" he asked, still watching the other man intently.

"No matter where y'are, it's always showin' you the same face."

What... Sanzo arched a brow and shook his head lightly. If that wasn't faulty logic, he didn't know what was. "The same could be said of the sun, though," he argued. He had no idea where this little astronomy chat was going or what point the other man was trying to prove with mentioning the moon and faces. It didn't matter though, he'd stated a valid response to that.

"I reckon you've got yourself a master, right?"

The question hit him colder than being bitch slapped while standing naked in the snow. It took more willpower than he wanted not to simply walk away. He forced himself to remain, the only indication that the question had any effect on him being the tightness that now pressed against his shoulders. "Your point." It wasn't a question. This guy was seriously close to pressing buttons he really shouldn't. It wasn't a surprise that Hazel would arrive to that conclusion. A man who professed to understand the Buddhist faith would know how the temples operated. What bothered him was the fact that the bishop seemed to _know_ about his master. Why else go from talking about the moon to this?

"My own master," Hazel began softly, a faint trace of a reminiscent smile still to his lips. It was the bitter anger and that same darkening of pain that told Sanzo before the words were out this wasn't a happy story. "Was a kindly sorta man. He took me in and raised my like I was his own son. Back then, I was a helpless child. No family, no friends... no one except my master."

Hazel sighed, straightening from his bent position to lean against the frame work, eyes still glued on the moon. "Then, on a beautiful night almost like this one, he was murdered while protectin' me from monsters."

Sanzo barely heard the last bit. That sigh had told him the ending before it had even come and had sent his own thoughts spiraling down to another night, one soaked over in terrential rains. The pounding of the storm had hidden the youkai aura from everyone... Sanzo closed his eyes and let the smoke burning idly from his lit cigarette hit his nose and try to draw him away from thoughts splattered over with blood. It worked well to remove the blood he was seeing behind his eyes, or the remembered feel of that hot, thick liquid as it arced through the air and landed with tiny plops onto the ground. It covered him from head to toe, his master's blood. He remembered staring at it on the ground and thinking that Master's blood didn't deserve to be left on the floor like that. Gods, he'd tried gathering the liquid in his hands, just to get it off the damned floor...

He needed nicotine. Nicotine would help... Slowly, still being held by the memories that shouldn't have come out tonight, he brought the cigarette to his lips. The press of the springy filter against his lips urged him to open his mouth just enough to get the stick in place. Another burst of will power made him breath in. Ash fluttered from the end in pale grey wisps, the tip glowed a bright orange and then... smoke coated his tongue and slid down his throat. It's burning heat was what finally drew him fully out of from the pouring rain of that night to the shining brilliance of this one.

His exhale of that same smoke was slow and only slightly shakey. Another hit brought relief to his system as well as the realization that his cigarette was nearly burned to the filter. He could leave now, and forget this conversation. If he left now, he could get back before Yaone had to leave. Yes, he liked that idea. Just get the hell away from this man and...

"Those youkai? Monsters, that's what we call 'em from where I come from. I don't care for them at all," Hazel continued. It wasn't so much his words as the fierce, cold tone that made Sanzo stick around just a couple seconds longer. It was so completely different than the pleasant voice he commonly used that it was like listening to a totally different person altogether. It left him wondering once again just who exactly Bishop Hazel Grosse really was. Was the annoyingly chipper side the real man, or this darker, angry one? No one could be so extremely different in split seconds.

Hazel sighed again, the anger vanishing in a tiny, sad smile. "Y'know... that was some pretty impressive power you showed off yesterday. Just think what we could do if our powers were workin' together."

And that was his cue to leave. The bastard just didn't know when to stop pushing. Sanzo flicked the butt of his cigarette out into the courtyard and stepped away from the wall. He met Hazel's curious gaze with a glare of his own. "I told you already," he said firmly. "I'm not interested." _And if you ask me again, I'll kill you_, was left unsaid. See, restraint? He was showing so much restraint tonight it was unbelievable. He just wished it had come out a littler earlier in the evening. Maybe restraint would have kept the argument from occuring.

"Mr. Sanzo, wait!"

Sanzo paused half way down the hall, glancing over his shoulder without turning fully around. He was trying to make it as obvious as possible that their conversation was finished and he wasn't going to discuss it again.

"You're human, aren't you?"

It took him a second to decide whether the question was asked to be funny or in all seriousness. The way Hazel stood behind him, face devoid of his smile and open in it's suspicion told him that it was meant to be taken seriously. The man actually thought he was a youkai. "And what value does that have?" he shot back before walking away from the other man. Idiot. Just because the bishop hated youkai didn't mean everyone else in the world had to as well. Not every youkai was evil and murdering, and not every human was pure and innocent. Any man with half an ounce of intelligence would realize that.

And with that, he made his way back to the room where his youkai girlfriend was asleep. His lips twitched briefly as he imagined Hazel's reaction to not only a holy man who was having sex, but a holy man who was having sex (and a relationship... still, he hoped) with a youkai. If Hazel Grosse was trying to win him over, talking shit about youkai was definately the wrong way to go about it.

----------

Yaone wasn't asleep. She hadn't ever fallen asleep, just pretended to do so. Her body ached, but in a very good way. Well, physically it was good. Emotionally, she felt like she was dying. He'd purposely avoided any sort of eye contact with her as they'd had sex, which hurt more than any words or accusations he could have thrown at her. It was like he was unable to look at the person he was screwing. It turned what was normally such an intimate thing into something ugly and... painful. It didn't matter how good it had been, it left her feeling dirty. She should have told him to stop. He would have, no doubt about it. The only reason she hadn't was because she didn't want him thinking she was pulling away again. So... she'd given in to the way he made her body react, waiting for only a couple of seconds while he relearned to breathe before touching his shoulder just enough to tell him she wanted him to move.

She'd turned away from him, rolling to her side, so he wouldn't see her cry. The minute she'd felt him stiffen next to her was the minute she realized how else her action could be construed. The softly muttered, "Goddamn it," confirmed it for her and made the tears fall faster. Despite her desire not to turn away from him, she'd done just that. Now, it was her turn to be afraid of looking at her lover. She could already imagine the anger and hurt in his eyes and knew nothing she said could change that. If only he knew the real reason...

It had surprised her a little, after laying there for several hours with her eyes closed and pretending to sleep, when she'd felt his fingers move along her spine. The touch was soft, what she would secretly call tender (though he would deny the use of the word vehemently), and said more than any number of passionate kisses. It was the apology he wouldn't say out loud, it was him asking her forgiveness... and it was also him confirming that he did love her. She couldn't begin to explain how she knew all that through the feather light touches that traced over her scars and further down to the base of her spine, but she did. It was just that simple intuition that came through many nights spent with him, talking and studying his behaviors until she could tell just by a twitch of his lips what he was thinking.

Her fingers had curled tightly into the pillow then, eyes closing and heart racing at the gentle caresses. SIlently, she prayed that he would just pull her to him, regardless of the fact that she'd literally turned her back on him. She wanted him to reach for her for a change, not the other way around. She was tired of pushing more than half way just to reach him. It was time he reciprocate and met her at the half way point for a change. God, how many months had gone by where he would retreat and she'd chase after him, tackling him and his inner demons to try and drag them back toward the light? And, every time she thought she'd finally gotten her hands on him, he slipped away yet again. It was... exhausting. It was to the point now where she wasn't sure if loving him really was enough.

How could she love someone who wouldn't let her? It was a pattern she was starting to see, something so deep rooted she wasn't sure even he was aware of it. Everytime they came to a new level of understanding in their relationship, he fought against it. It was like he was looking for reasons to make what they had fail. None of the risks had changed. From the very start of things, they'd known exactly what they were getting into. He knew this, deep down, and therefore couldn't use his mission as a problem. So... he created complications himself. Yes, he'd been right about Kougaiji being interested in her. There was no way she could deny that now, but his interest in her didn't translate as her returning that interest. Sanzo was jumping to a conclusion, however logical he may have found it at the time. The fact that he was acting before he thought (which was NOT at all like him) was the proof she needed to support her theory. Genjyo Sanzo, the human monk who stood before armies of fierce youkai warriors with no fear, was afraid of simply letting her love him.

Yaone continued to savor the soft touches to her back, and continued to pray to God that he would just finish the movement and slide his arm around her waist, tuck her in against himself. It would be the first real time he'd ever reached to hold her. Him stopping her when she was about to leave didn't count. That had been an act of desperation to keep her there while trying to end the argument the only way he could without actually apologizing. This, however... this would say everything he wouldn't. This would be the sign that she needed that everything would be okay, they would get through this. If he reached for her...

She almost screamed at him when he pulled away his touch, the bed creaking a moment after as he sat up completely. Yaone's eyes cracked open, the stinging prick of tears blurring what she could see of the room. All she could see clearly was ivory silk robes disappearing behind the soft click of the door. The lock slid in place before footsteps told her Sanzo was walking away. She finally gave way to the tears that had resurfaced, sobbing as quietly as she could into her pillow. The space that was formerly his was quickly cooling off so that not even a lingering trace of body heat was there to comfort her any longer. She curled her knees up tighter to her chest and continued to cry until her throat was sore and her eyes were undoubtedly red.

It still took her several minutes of laying in bed, screaming internally for him to come and hold her, before she sat up numbly, glaring at the locked door with bitter anger. He wouldn't do it, not yet at any rate. She was beginning to doubt Sanzo ever would break down and be the one to reach for her. It was all well and good to talk about being in a relationship all the way, but when that 'all the way' meant fourty percent from him and sixty from her... She wiped her eyes, letting out a shakey sigh as she bent to gather her clothing. She was tired of constantly running after him. If he wanted her then he would chase her for a change.

Once she was dressed, she stood and went over to where his bag hung on the bed post, digging through the cigarettes, bullets, rolls of paper, ink, pens and spare clothing until she found what she was looking for; a map. She quickly turned on a light, blinking in the sudden brightness as her keen eyes adjusted to the change. She opened the map on the table, her eyes scanning over the features and landscape until they found the town they were currently in. A red path had been drawn over the map with 'X's marking off the towns they'd stayed at along their journey. There were a couple breaks in the line, most likely from being knocked off their course on a couple occassions, but the line never wavered from heading west. It ended with an X through Choudre, where they currently were.

Yaone fished out a piece of paper and a pen from her bag, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully as she studied the map. What she was about to do was going to piss him off. Sanzo didn't like ultimatums of any sort, but he was forcing her hand on this one. If this worked, then their relationship still stood a chance. If not... She shook her head grimly, eyes narrowing to focus on the map again. No, she wouldn't think like that. That touch told her that he still wanted her, and wanted what they could have together. All this was going to do was force him into making a decision. Reach for her, or risk losing her.

She pin pointed a city on the map with her claw, deciding it looked to be a good place. It wasn't off course for his journey and was perhaps three days of traveling if everything went smoothly, four if it didn't. The side key noted that it was a large, prosperous town as well, which would work suitably well for her. Her hand shook as she quickly wrote out her message before drawing a circle around the city in question. She left the map out on the table for him to find, grabbed her bag from the floor and headed for the door with the note in hand. He was clever enough to figure it out, and besides... let him do a little digging around for _her_ this time.

The desk clerk was now a young girl who was idly flipping through a magazine, completely bored with the lack of early morning traffic. Her gaze flicked up as Yaone slid the folded piece of paper across the desk to her. "Would you please see to it Master Sanzo receives this before he leaves?" she asked with as bright a smile as she could muster.

"Yeah, sure," the girl answered, taking the note and dropping it into a little envelope. She scribbled Sanzo's name across the front and propped it up so that the next shift coming in could see it. "Is there anything else, miss? Do you need to check out?"

"No, that's not necessary, thank you." She left the girl blinking in confusion at the desk, pushing through the door quickly.

As she left the inn, the sun was just beginning to grey the sky, giving a little light to her departure. She couldn't tell if her steps were heavy because she hadn't slept at all or because of the nervous, sickening feeling in her gut over what she'd just done. She was beyond worrying if he was angered by her actions. To her, if he did as her note asked, she would endure hours upon hours of him being angry. At least it would mean he was trying to reach her for a change.

----------

The first thing Sanzo noticed when he came to his room was that the door was no longer locked. That had set off warning bells like crazy in his head. Forcing his breathing to slow down and remain quiet, the monk pressed himself flat to the wall on one side of the door, reaching into his robes for his gun. He didn't sense any youkai aura, but that didn't necessarily mean a good thing. No aura at all meant he wasn't even picking up Yaone's, which meant she'd either left or worse... Shit, come to think of it, that bishop had come down the hall from this direction...

It was the concern that perhaps Hazel had picked up on her aura, too, and decided to add another soul to his collection that sent him through the door, the wood splintering a bit from the hinges as he kicked it open before dropping to one knee, gun ready to fire. The room was completely dark and in order. No signs of a struggle and none of that lingering cold that always followed after the ressurection power was used. the only thing out of place was the bed. It was unmade and empty. Sanzo stood slowly, pointing his gun toward the ceiling as his other hand flicked the light switch on.

The light made him flinch a little, eyes squinting in the sudden assault as they continued to survey the room. Yaone was gone. She'd purposely waited until he'd left to sneak out. Slowly, he lowered the gun, snapping the safety back in place before tucking it into his robes. She was gone. The words kept repeating around his head as he shut the door, something close to numbing shock curling through his stomach and into his chest. She was gone. She'd left him. Yaone...

His eyes fell on the table and at the map spread across the top. _His_ map, the one that had been in his bag. Frowning, he walked over to, eyes scanning for anything in particular that was different or hinted at why she'd pulled it out to begin with. Was this some kind of message to him? If so, it sucked. There was nothing different about it except...

Tamal... He slid the map closer on the table, eyes instantly falling on the black circle around the city's name. He sure as hell didn't put it there. Why in the hell would she circle Tamal? A quick reading of the key said it was a larger city, maybe about four days away if they drove straight without interuption. It was almost directly in their line of travel, too. His eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a dark frown as he glared down at the map. Maybe this wasn't a message of some kind. Maybe she'd been looking at the map to best judge where they would be staying next. The circle could just be for her own benefit. A question came to mind, quick and sudden but it was enough to make his fingers curl into angry fists. What if she was spying out their next possible location for an attack?

That made him pull a chair out enough to sit down in. Shit... he needed a cigarette. He pulled the pack from his robes, ignoring how his hand shook a little as he lit up. The nicotine worked its way through the tightness in his chest and his body's unwillingness to draw a full breath. Gods, what if this _was_ what he thought? It would mean she'd been using him the entire time. He didn't think that likely at all. Yaone was a fairly easy person to read most of the time. If he'd thought she'd been using him, he would have picked up on it. Hakkai would have, too. He was a pretty perceptive bastard. Of course... Goku didn't trust her, not as far as he could drop kick her. The boy did have a good point about enemies trying to kill each other. Who was to say Yaone wasn't simply following Kougaiji's orders?

He took another hit, his lungs relaxing enough to let the smoke in fully as he continued to stare in confusion at the map. Another idea surfaced, one that completely counteracted the darker one before it. What if she was trying to tell him to avoid Tamal, that there was something planned there? It made sense then to circle it on the map. She wouldn't be disobeying Kougaiji because she technically didn't say a word to him about it. All she'd done was circle the city's name on a map. He didn't think she was the type to carelessly mark off where a planned attack was going to occur, not unless she wanted him to find it. Why else leave the map out on the table to begin with? The part of him that still cared for Yaone was really pushing for this idea... and the logic behind it seemed more sound to him.

Whatever the hell the case was, there was no way they were going to Tamal. Unless she'd left further hints for him, he couldn't risk it. Sanzo finished smoking and crushed the dead filter into an ash tray before shrugging off everything but his jeans at leather top. He needed to catch a little sleep before they left in a few hours. He'd inquire at the front desk in the morning if anyone had dropped a note for him.

----------

Hazel remained half hidden in the shadows just by the stairs as the she-demon came down once again. Oh, she looked nicely human enough... but he wasn't at all a headless chicken and he knew very well that those pretty gold bracelets were nothing more than a disguise for her demon appearance. Throwing a wool sweater over a wolf doesn't make it a lamb. He listened in, completely unnoticed by both her and the girl clerk as she left a message for Master Sanzo before exiting quickly. Judging by the redness to her eyes, he'd say the she'd been crying. Not that he was particulalry moved by the tears of a demon. If anything, it repulsed him to think such creatures had such similar reactions as a human. What right did the monsters have to cry at night?

His gloved fingers traced the pendant around his neck as he mulled over the situation presented to him. On the one hand, he could go after her and take her soul. It was still dark out and none of the other demons upstairs would even know about it. Or... he could get that note. There was only one reason he could think of a young woman would inquire after a gentleman during the night and then slip out in the early morning hours. Lord have mercy, he truly hoped Sanzo hadn't slipped that far down the path! Consorting with monsters was one thing. He could admit that all but that red-haired smudge of existance were rather tolerable fellows, but to actually take such abominations to bed... Hazel's hand dropped to his stomach as it jerked violently at the very thought.

Well, clearly Mr. Sanzo wasn't thinking right. He could only hope to God it was some kind of demon magic, like a siren's song or a succubus, that was holding him thrall to the female who had just left. It just wasn't... _natural_. He wasn't surprised such a young man was looking for a way to ease the lonely nights, even if that young man was something of a blessed person. But why would a fellow, who could easily walk into any tavern or watering hole in the world and walk out with a dozen or so young ladies without even opening his mouth, settle for _that_? Humans belonged with humans. Demons belonged with demons... or in the ground, as far as he was concerned.

Sighing to himself, Hazel stepped from the shadows, instantly throwing on his most charmingly innocent smile as he walked up to the girl at the desk. "Excuse me, miss, I was wonderin' if there were any messages for me and my travelin' companions?" he asked. Whatever the reason behind this grotesque affair, he just couldn't sit back and watch a fellow human fall like this. What the monk didn't know wouldn't hurt him. In fact, it just might save him in the end. No demon, no matter how noble they claimed their intentions were, was worthy of trusting. Mr. Sanzo had gone far too long without the company of another human and it was really starting to show.

"Oh... yes, Bishop," the girl replied promptly. She dug underneath the counter for the many thank you notes and pleads to assist that the townsfolk had dropped for him. It tore his very heart out to see so many crying for his power, while he couldn't do a blessed thing about it. Not a single itty bitty trace of a soul was left in his pendant, and so these poor people would have to suffer through their loss. He was beginning to regret letting those two upstairs from stopping him for that boy, and added to the regret was that he'd decided to stay here and collect that letter instead of hunting down the she-demon.

He sighed as he sorted through the thank-yous and the requests before turning his smile back to her. "And if ya don't mind, might I collect Master Sanzo's as well? See, he's kinda had a rough night and asked me to get any notes for him as well."

The girl hesitated only briefly, an uncertain bend to her brow as she slowly handed the sealed envelope to him. Hazel took it with a polite tip of his hat to her. "Much obliged, little miss. Thank you kindly!" She smiled back before returning to her magazine. Hazel tucked his small stack into his robes as he went back up the stairs, carefully opening the letter so the girl didn't notice his snooping. Normally, he wouldn't even dream of being such a sneak, but saving Mr. Sanzo from this demon's clutches just became a new priority on his list. Despite the bad temper and even worse habits, he rather liked the man. Besides, how could he let someone who wielded a fan with such amazing accuracy go to the demons? It just wasn't right.

He arched a brow as he read the simple note to himself. _"If you want me, come find me. Tamal in four days."_ So... it was like that then, was it? Apparently, if that tone were any indication, this wasn't a very happy couple at the present. Maybe he didn't have to do too much work after all. He crumpled the paper up into a tiny knot and deposited it into a potted plant just outside his door.


	39. Chapter 39

Sanzo carefully kept his gaze from the map stretched out across the table, avoiding to crinkling of Hakkai's brow as he noted the circled name on the map. A pancake went sailing across the table, puffing the smoke from his cigarette harshly. In response for the impromptu toss, a sausage link suddenly became a missile. His glare slid to the boy who all but dove across a certain bishop's lap to save the sausage from an untimely death. They were the only people awake and in the dining area, but that wasn't and excuse to start a food fight!

"Mercy me, y'all are full of fiest this mornin'," Hazel laughed, dabbing neatly at his mouth with a napkin. "I'm surprised you're even up and runnin', little fella, after sparrin' with Gat all night. Ya don't even look a mite sleepy!"

"Huh?" Goku asked, eyebrows slanting downward and jaw dropping open to reveal half chewed waffles and syrup. Gojyo's hand was only slightly faster than Sanzo's fan as they both went to smack the kid. "OW! Damn it, what was that for?"

"Goddamn animal, eat with your mouth closed!" Sanzo snarled.

"Seriously, man, that's just damned nasty. How the hell do you expect to get laid if you're spitting food everywhere?" Gojyo added.

_THWACK!_

"OW! Why, you goddamned, Buddhist prick!"

"The fan stops when the corruption stops, kappa!" Sanzo huffed as he tucked the fan away again and crushed out his cigarette. He immediately drew another one from his pack and lit up, ignoring the surprised lift of brows from his usual traveling companions.

"Another one, Sanzo?" Hakkai questioned as innocently as could be. "That makes your third one since you sat down for breakfast."

"Just shut up and plan the route," he muttered, hoping the glare would tell the other man he was in absolutely no mood to discuss shit.

Hakkai cleared his throat and returned to the map. Obviously, the not-so-subtle hint had gotten through to him. He could still see those green eyes flitting between the portion of their route already marked and to the black circle that was the source of his third cigarette.

"Looks to me like y'all already planned it," Hazel commented idly, leaning closer to Hakkai to peer at the map. Hakkai, with a very subtly cast glance, scooted the map just a few inches further across the table and away from the bishop. Hazel blinked and then settled back in his chair again as he took a sip of tea with an unruffled smile. "Nice, big city from what I hear, too."

"Really. Oh, how fascinating, lord bishop," Gojyo deadpanned before flicking his chopsticks out and snatching the final piece of bacon shortly before Goku did.

"Hey, cockroach, that bacon was _mine_," Goku said in a low, very controled tone.

Gojyo made a big deal of chewing it thoroughly before swallowing it down with a healthy swig of orange juice. "Damn... nothing like bacon fried extra crispy. I think that was the best piece on the plate, too. A shame you didn't get to it faster, monkey-boy."

"You knew I was eyin' it. I _always_ get the last piece of bacon!"

"Yeah, well this time you didn't. Besides, it's got a better home in my stomach."

"Why you-"

Sanzo reached into his robe and jerked his gun out to slam it roughly on the table. Hakkai didn't even look up from the map as he absently steadied the tea cup the sharp gesture nearly tipped over. Violet eyes glared around the table, completely ignoring th blue eyes full of a warm admiration. Two gulps met his glare before the arguing pair returned to their breakfast completely silent. Good, he didn't need to waste any bullets on them. Yet. He returned to his cigarette and pretended not to notice the black circle on the map. Not that he expected ignoring it would drive it from his mind. It was all he'd thought about until Goku came bursting into his empty room announcing breakfast. Damn it all, why was he still agonizing over this? He'd already made his decision. He wasn't going anywhere near the damn city. His glare fell back on that mocking, black circle as he took another slow hit.

Maybe they _should_ go to Tamal.

_What if it's a trap?_

It didn't have to be a trap. It could be she was warning them away from it.

_Either way, why go to Tamal then?_

Because... something told him that city was where the answers were that he needed.

_For your personal life or the mission? Remember, you aren't heading west for HER. This is for your master and because the Three Floating Heads commanded it._

Sanzo's eyes narrowed as if he could glare inside his head at that stupid voice. What, so the mission was the be-all and end-all of his life? Fuck that! It was his life, and he would live it the way he wanted to. This mission was just something he had to do along the way. Tamal was nearly directly in their line of travel, so it wasn't like they would be going out of their way to get there... So what was holding him back?

_Maybe the questions you have are ones you really don't want answered?_

Hmmm... that was a thought. If he went there and they were ambushed, he'd know she'd never cared for him. That... hurt to even imagine. It felt like his ribs were cracking in his chest to think about that scenario. It also sparked a bit of anger at himself. If that was the case, he would have no one to blame but himself for being so foolish as to let her into his world.

However, if he went and surprised the piss out of a youkai army... He very nearly felt a smile twitching at his lips and quickly hid it behind his hand as he took a hit of nicotine. That would mean she was trying to warn him away from it. It would mean she wasn't leaving him and that there was still a chance to super glue the mess back together.

The first he could understand not wanting answered, but the second... Isn't that what he should want? He wasn't ready to call it quits, but with the way things were going he couldn't see the reason for staying on. It wasn't good for her, it sure as hell wasn't good for him... goddamn it, he did NOT just try and justify giving up! Sanzo ground out his cigarette and reached for a nother, ignoring the sharp gazes directed at him from a certain know-it-all and a dumb monkey. Whatever, let them speculate all they wanted. All he was doing was smoking... nonstop. It wasn't any of their business anyway.

"Is somethin' the matter, Mr. Sanzo?"

Gods, how he wished looks could kill. He really wished some merciful god or goddess would grant him that lovely power for just three full seconds. Oh, how that annoyingly pleasant face with its gleamingly perfect smile would explode if he had that power.

(And, in the heavens, there was an overstressed, overworked swordsman holding back an insanely cackling goddess who was seriously considering how much fun this request would be.)

Sanzo sighed inwardly and settled for glaring coldly at that happy face. "Does it look like something's the matter?" he questioned back tightly.

"You really shouldn't answer a question with a question, Mr. Sanzo. It's not polite."

"And neither is inviting yourself to breakfast... but we tend to be a very forgiving group when it comes to others lacking in social grace," Hakkai replied before the blonde could even open his mouth to tell Hazel to fuck off.

Hazel blinked and glanced at Hakkai. Hakkai stopped fiddling with the map and glanced back. They both smiled tightly and let out chuckles that were anything but amused. Gojyo's softly muttered, "Shit... that was scary," was the general concensus for the rest of the table as well. Sanzo blinked, shivering lightly under his robe as he flicked ash off the end of his new cigarette. Screw killing with a glance, that smile of Hakkai's was an even deadlier weapon.

"Well," Hazel drawled around the tight smile he kept on his face. He took a delicate sip of tea before returning it to the saucer very carefully. "Seein' as y'all have Tamal marked off on your map, I suppose that's mighty opportune for us. Isn't it, Gat?"

"If you say so, Hazel," Gat rumbled from his place between Hazel and the glass window. It was a very bodyguard-like thing to do, and reconfirmed in Sanzo's mind that maybe the mini giant didn't really have a choice but to do what he was told. It was something he'd suspected at from the beginning of meeting the odd duo, but there was never any real evidence to support it.

"And why the hell would it be 'mighty opportune' for you guys?" Gojyo demanded with a sneering drawl of his own.

"I got a summons last night from some poor li'l widow woman askin' if I could come and help her dear son. It seems the fella was attacked by youkai and is now near dyin' over what that monster did to him. So, if y'all are goin' to Tamal, we might as well tag along for the ride."

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you talking about this circled city right here?" Hakkai asked pleasantly. "I hate to tell you this, but we weren't planning to head there at all."

"Then why's it marked on your map, sir?" Hazel asked with a sweet-as-can-be smile and colder-than-fuck eyes.

Hakkai's smile was one degree less in sweetness and his eyes were about twenty degrees colder. "I purchased this map second hand. It was probably from the previous owner," he replied with another little laugh and a shrug.

Damn it... Sanzo came dangerously close to snapping a perfectly good cigarette between his fingers with Hakkai's little declaration. So much for making any sort of decision, thanks to that smiling bastard. The next hit he took was just a little harder to inhale and was exhaled with more force than necessary. The thin grey smoke was expelled almost violently into the air as he shot a narrow eyed glare in Hakkai's direction. Hakkai didn't catch it, seeing as he was bent over the map again. Lovely. Not only was the decision not to go unconsciously made for him, he'd also wasted a perfectly lethal glare on a guy's profile.

"Well, I'm sure y'all wouldn't mind givin' us a lift half way there," Hazel pressed, folding his gloved hands neatly on the table top. "After all, you four seem to be headin' that general direction. It's only the _proper_ ettiquette to repay someone for buyin' you a meal."

Those were the magic words. Hazel was apparently an excellent study of character. He knew Hakkai was in charge of the driving, but he'd also picked up on the fact that the green-eyed youkai was very much the proper sort of gentleman. And, judging by the way the map's edges were now crinkled into Hakkai's tightly closed fists, the green eyed man knew he'd been suckered well and good. "We can discuss travel arrangements after breakfast," he replied tightly. "First, I think it's important we plan our _own_ route before taking in the considerations of others."

"Of course. Take your time, sir. There's still plenty more flap jacks where these came from."

"Huh?" Goku queried from his fifth plate of pancakes. "What the heck's a flap jack?"

"Why, you're eatin' them, little fella," the bishop laughed. "That's what we call 'em where I come from."

"Yeah, well here we call them pancakes," Gojyo cut in sharply. He leaned forward on the table, setting his elbows on either side of his empty plate and bringing his cigarette to his lips.

"Is it also customary to put your elbows on the table?"

The falsely polite inquiry was met with a cloud of slowly blown smoke heavily laced with the remainders of nicotine. Crimson eyes were practically burning with heavy dislike as pale blue ones lost a bit of their good humor. Sanzo's gaze shifted from the dead-lock stares as Gat shifted just a little closer to Hazel. Big hands capable of breaking skulls like tissue paper slowly shifted downward to the massive guns tugging on his belt. Despite the fact the stand-off was between those two and the worthless kappa, Sanzo began edging his hand closer to his own gun. As he did it, he somehow managed to convince himself it was because the only bullets to touch that pervy watersprite's head would be _his_, not some overgrown pitt bull.

"I tell you what's not customary; having your goddamn watch dog draw down on someone over breakfast."

" My, you're an awfully suspicious fella, aren't ya? Gat's just shiftin' position. He's not doing anything wrong."

"Yeah, I believe that like I believe you can buy a decent whore for two dollars!"

Hakkai had chosen that moment to sip his coffee, and was now too busy choking on it to make any sort of horrified exclaimation over the crude comment. Sanzo could already hear the questions surfacing in Goku's head in regards to it and decided quick action was in order to curb those inquiries before they surfaced. The fan flashed blinding quick into first the kappa's head and then into Goku's. "Can it! I don't have enough bullets to waste on blowing holes in your thick skulls!"

"Ooooow... Sanzo, why'd ya hit _me_? I didn't do a damn thing," Goku howled, dropping his fork to rub at his heavily abused head.

"You were about to ask stupid questions, that's why!"

"Shit... I swear to the gods, I'm gonna find where the hell you stash that thing and I'm gonna shove it somewhere you won't forget!"

"Try it, watersprite. It'll amuse me when I kick your ass." Sanzo slouched back in his chair, stretching his legs out under the table as he took a final hit on his cigarette and ground it out. Did he want another one? Maybe. It didn't seem to be helping with anything though. Obviously, he didn't expect a cigarette to hold all the answers to the mysterious world of relationships, but he did expect the damn thing to relax him enough to divine the answers on his own. Then again, considering the company he kept, he wasn't at all surprised he would require more nicotine than usual. So, a fifth cigarette in the morning it was. He tapped one free and flicked fire onto the tip as he sucked down that first mouthful.

"Goodness, Sanzo, you're going to be out of cigarettes before we even leave town," Hakkai admonished without looking up from the map.

"Then you'll just have to get me some more before we leave, won't you?" Sanzo replied in bitterly sweet tones. The only response from the green-eyed man was a tightening to his jaw that said he was a little irritated by the sarcasm. Good, he hated it when a good sarcastic remark was laughed off. His eyes dropped to the map as well, returning to that damned black circle. There had to be some kind of logical reason for it. Yaone wasn't stupid, so he doubted very much she would have circled Tamal if she meant him harm. Maybe she wanted him to meet her there? She'd never done anything like that before though, so why start now? Then again, there was his original theory that she was trying to warn him away from it without really saying anything. It would explain the cryptic nature of the circle and no note. If she wanted to meet him there, she could have left a note at the front desk. The boy there hadn't said jack shit about any messages for him, so clearly she hadn't left any. So, that would then lead to his theory that she couldn't leave a more precise message because it would go against an order...

His circling thoughts came slamming to a hault when the door to the dining area swung open and closed sharply. All activity and conversation ceased as they turned collectively to look at the cause of the interruption. Round green eyes with slitted pupils widened impossibly further as a small chest that had been sucking down gulps of air suddenly went still as stone. Sanzo's eyes narrowed and slid to look at Goku as the monkey shifted and glanced back at Hazel warily. So... this was the youkai kid that caused all the commotion from before.

Heavy footsteps went running by and darkly muttered comments trickled back through their door, causing the youkai boy to flinch and look around frantically for an exit. He took a couple hesitant steps toward the window, but shrank back the minute the sunlight was obstructed by people running by.

"He's gotta be here somewhere!"

"Did anyone try the shed out back?"

"Someone go check that storage unit again!"

The boy shivered and let out a low whine as he scrambled back toward the door.

"They're going to catch you for sure that way," Gojyo commented as he lit a cigarette. Sanzo remained silent, watching as the boy's shoulders stiffened before his head jerked around to give Gojyo those too-round eyes. He hid a little smile by taking a hit of his own cigarette, sparing a glance through half closed eyes at where Goku sat. This whole thing reminded him of when the monkey had been small. Gods, the trouble that kid would go through just to get a meatbun...

"B-But... I've gotta..."

Gojyo flipped a corner of the table cloth up casually. "Stay low and keep quiet, kid."

The boy hesitated, obviously wary of trusting them. Not that anyone could fault the kid for that, what with all the commotion caused just to run his scrawny ass out of town. Most everyone at the table didn't look to be a respectable lot anyway, especially the one offering their table as a hiding place. It was the footsteps racing back toward the door that made the decision, and the kid dove under the table just as the door knob began to turn.

"One word outta your holy ass, and you better hope to the gods your bodyguard's a faster draw than me," Gojyo muttered toward Hazel.

Hazel simply smiled and folded his hands neatly around the porcelain tea cup before him. "The thought never crossed my mind, sir," he murmured demurely.

Whatever Gojyo would have said to that was lost as the door exploded inward and six full grown men came bursting in on their breakfast. Sanzo arched a brow and met Hakkai's glance. It was obvious they were both thinking the same damn thing; six adults just to catch one child? Either there was something more to the child or these guys were all over-reacting to a youkai in their presence. Neither option was a good one.

"You're interupting us," Sanzo said cooly, blowing a thin curling of smoke in their general direction. He very nearly kicked the boy squirming around under the table. The kid was trying to scrunch as far away from the men as possible, but if he didn't stop moving like that he'd draw their attention!

"Oh, uh... sorry to disturb you, but you didn't see a boy come running through here, did you?" the one in the door way asked. He motioned to his companions to move further into the room as his eyes scanned over the area in general. All the while he fidgeted uncomfortably with the door knob. Sanzo rolled his eyes discretely and sucked down another rush of nicotine. So that was it. These tough motherfuckers were scared of a kid barely tall enough to reach stomachs. How pathetic.

"No," Hakkai replied with a suitably appropriate look of mild surprise on his face. He managed a quick, cold glare as Hazel cleared his throat lightly before returning his attention to the man who had spoken. "Is something the matter?"

"Um... Not really, I guess," the man continued as the other five fanned out and began searching the room regardless of Hakkai's reply. Sanzo kept his gaze on the men as he felt a shivering back press against his leg under the table. He remained perfectly still, not showing any indication that he had a kid damned near ready to piss himself with fear sitting on his freshly pressed silk robes. Hazel shifted a little across from him, his blue eyes reflecting his uncomfort of having a youkai so close to his oh-so-holy toes. As if that bastard had anything to worry about.

"See, there's this youkai kid who comes down every once in a while," another man added as he flipped the cloth up on the table right next to them. The back that had been shivering tensed briefly before returning to the nervous tremors in full force. Damn it all, if he wasn't careful those dumb asses were going to find him! Sanzo took an extra hard hit just to keep from ramming his foot into the boney ass sitting right on top of it. KNowing his luck, the kid would squawk and draw attention to his hiding place. "He likes to come and steal our food, the little sneak."

"Wow, that's gotta suck for you guys," Gojyo drawled dryly as he very casually scratched his nose... with his middle finger. Sanzo shook his head as Goku snickered faintly and Hakkai cleared his throat disapprovingly. Such fucking children... The kappa's sarcasm, and hand gesture, went unnoticed by the men searching the dining area, thankfully. The last thing he needed was to pacify some irrational morons because Gojyo decided to act like his shoe size again!

"He's still young, though, so don't worry about him attacking," the man in the door way continued. "Just... keep an eye on your things. We aren't gonna be held responsible for his thieving youkai hide!"

"Naturally, we wouldn't hold the townfolk accountable," Hakkai murmured with the beginning edges of real anger lacing through his tightly held smile. Long fingers curled in a very precise manner around his own tea cup in a mirror image of the bishop sitting across from them. Sanzo ground out his fifth cigarette and refrained from reaching for another. Between the coffee and all the nicotine in his system already, that sixth one would probably throw his body way out of whack for at least the rest of the day. He had enough shit to deal with right now. Like his goddamn girlfriend and her cryptic as hell little note. Really, was it too much to ask for something a little more clearly stated than some fucking circle on a map? What the hell was he supposed to do with THAT?

"He's not here," someone called from further in the dining room. Immediately, all the searchers stood and began to move back toward the door. "Let's try the kitchen again, just to be sure." The door shut quickly, muffling the sounds of footsteps hurrying back down the hall. At the same time, the quivering back full of sharp vertebrae began to calm down and finally cease it's movement altogether. A relieved sigh trickled out from under the table.

"They're gone," Gojyo said before flipping the edge of the table cloth up again. He immediately returned his attention back to salvaging some of the remaining food from Goku's mouth. "Yo, monkey! Share the damn toast."

"Nu-uh," Goku growled around a mouthful of egg and toast. The fact that everyone at the table could tell exactly what food he was currently in the process of digesting made Sanzo's eye twitch irritably. "You took all the bacon, I get all the toast!"

Sanzo nudged the weight still sitting on his foot, causing the boy under the table to jump quickly and crawl out from underneath. Two narrowed gazes were watching him covertly as his green eyes scrunched briefly in confusion. He glanced around at all of them, from Goku and Gojyo arguing over rights to the toast to Hakkai very calmly slipping pieces of sausage to Hakuryuu while continuing to pretend everything was peaceful and normal. No one made any comment as the kid bowed his thanks quickly and ran for the door on quiet, bare feet. Sanzo shook his head slightly before draining off the rest of his coffee. And he thought he was having a rough time. That kid was going to have nothing but misery until the Minus Wave was stopped.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only kid they'd seen like that on their trip. All over the place, youkai kids were being abandoned by their crazed parents to fates of trying to survive in a paranoid human world. If they were lucky, they were like that kid. They were alive and fighting to stay that way. If not... they'd seen too many mass graves on the side of the road, and he would bet a damned good amount that not every youkai body in there was a victim of the calamity. Humans taking a preemtive strike against something they rightly feared but had no understanding of. He silently hoped the kid got out of town in one piece. It had only been a brief encounter, but he'd seen it clear as day in those enormous green eyes. That boy was the type to fight for life. He deserved every breath he took and every day he woke up alive. Those bastards chasing him couldn't change that. Sanzo glanced again at Goku, who was quickly shoveling down the remaining pancakes while Gojyo griped up a storm about chewing and keeping digested food in the stomach, not on the plate. For once, he allowed the bickering to continue, comgin damned close to smiling at the kid who had so blindly followed him down from the top of a mountain. He was right about that kid being like Goku. Both of them, despite being told to go away and held apart from everyone, kept coming back for more. Sanzo shook his head again and wondered when the hell he started getting so goddamn soft.

All movement and arguing stopped as a chair was quietly pushed away from the table. Hazel rose from his place, dabbing at his lips carefully as he plucked his hat from the back of the chair. "If y'all would excuse me for a moment," he murmured politely before turning for the door. Sanzo arched a brow at the bishop's back as a soft growl came from Goku's direction.

Only a fool would try to repeat an action they knew would bring about a world of pain. Either that, or he was a cocky son of a bitch thinking he could take on all three of the non-humans sitting at the table. He had no doubt Hazel Grosse sure as hell was going after the boy. It was the motive behind it that he questioned. It seemed an awful lot of hassle just to collect the soul of one youkai kid. What if the main objective was to goad three youkai into a fight as well? Four souls total was quite a haul. And knowing the predictable assholes he traveled with, they would probably fall right for it. A glance around the table confirmed his last thought. All three of them were geared for a fight. Fine, whatever. Let them them have their pissing contest for all he cared. If they got rid of the bishop and his bitch, all the better for him. At least then they could go to Tamal without a fan club tagging along. _If_ he decided to go, of course.

_But wasn't the debate on this subject closed a while ago? When the hell was it moved back for reconsideration?_

Sanzo lit a cigarette and ignored the nagging little voice. He was reconsidering because he damn well wanted to. Gut instinct was telling him something wasn't completely right about the situation in general. There was some clue he wasn't getting, some little piece to the puzzle that wasn't fitting just right. If he couldn't figure it out by the time those three were kicking some holier-than-thou ass, then they would forget Tamal and travel over the mountain range instead. At least one good thing was had from the headache that fucking circle was giving him. If Yaone had gone through the trouble of trying to communicate something to him then obviously they weren't over. That was about the best goddamn he'd had in a while. So, even if they _didn't_ go to Tamal, she would still track him down. Right?

"What, off to piss together?" Gojyo snapped, leaning back in his chair to cast a dark glare at the retreating figures. Hakkai's admonishment to the language went unheard as Hazel turned slowly back around, a decidedly cold smile curving his lips.

"Y'all remember that poor baby and his momma yesterday?" the bishop asked softly. "There's still a chance to help him, if I'm quick about it"

"Don't even think about it," the kappa replied in a low tone that promised a heaping order of pain with a good dose of trauma on the side should the pale man take another step for the door. Sanzo took a hit on his cigarette, eyes narrowing as he waited to see how this little stand off was going to finish. His gun caught the light coming from the window to make the polished metal gleam dully, as if letting him know it was sitting there and ready to be used should he need it. Depending on how far south this thing got, he just might have to blow a few holes in people.

"It might be wise," Hakkai added with a barely contained darkness in his throat that was more chilling than any smile Hazel could pull. "To refrain from using that revival power too often. Now would be a very good time to practice that restraint."

Hazel feigned surprised indignance, but his eyes reflected a coldness that came damn near close to rivaling Hakkai's tone. "_Mercy_, but y'all are actin' like I'm a villain here."

"Well, tryin' to kill kids isn't what the good guys do," Goku snapped, half rising from his seat.

"And you gentlemen are the good guys then, little fella?"

"We're gooder than you!"

"Better, Goku. Not gooder," Hakkai corrected automatically.

Hazel blinked, this time with genuine surprise at Goku's outburst. Sanzo glared as those pale blue eyes turned to him, one silvery brow arching in question. "Mr. Sanzo, what do you have to say about this?"

"I say... leave me the hell out of this," Sanzo answered as he flicked ash idly into the tray by his elbow. If he could avoid stepping in, he would do so at all costs. Things were tense but not to the point of requiring him to end it his way yet.

"Well, how am I supposed to argue with that?" the bishop asked with a small chuckle. The pleasant, empty smile stretched his cheeks as he tilted his head to the side quizzically. "Still... y'all must have thought about it at one point or another. What if I could bring someone back from the dead?" He sighed, the smile slipping down enough to hide his dazzling white teeth. "I like to think I've got some good ol' common sense about all this. That common sense reminds me just how terrible this power actually is. If I could avoid usin' it completely, I would."

"Then why can't you?" Sanzo asked, cigarette burning away untouched in his hand. Those words stabbed deeply with all of them. To bring the dead back... It was an idea he'd wished for every day for almost five years. To bring back someone who deserved life, or to die himself. He was a complete fool back then. A wish like that, even if the means to see it through were available, was a never without consequences. All life acted on the principle of a cycle. Birth, life, death and around again. To disrupt that cycle was just asking for heaps of bad karma down on a person. He knew all this and had long ago come to terms with the knowledge that it was useless to wish for the impossible, but now... All those thoughts and all the pain associated with them were brought back full force because of the man smiling with quiet understanding across from him. All the many nights without sleep, all the few where his sleep was interupted by blood soaked nightmares. The mornings after where he would wake up wondering when the hell he'd put the gun to his temple and had to talk himself out of pulling that damned trigger.

It took Goku nudging him under the table with a sharp kick before he noticed the cigarette was starting to burn into the filter. Sanzo crushed it out and ignored the worried look in those wide, golden eyes. The kid didn't understand what it was like. As far as Goku could remember, he'd never lost anyone that mattered more than the world to him. The monkey was far too stubborn to ever let something like that happen. Once he found something he liked, he clung to it with everything he had. And, apparently Goku had decided almost five years ago that Sanzo was worth hanging on to. What of that, though? If he were to die, would Goku feel the same way he did? He didn't doubt the kid cared for him, and that was the problem. If he died, Goku would go through exactly what he did. Something in those bright, golden eyes would die with him, just as he was certain a part of him died with his master. He couldn't let that happen, not to Goku. He had always intended on living, no matter what, but now he had a new reason to add to the list. Goku should never have to wonder the question Hazel posed.

_Goku isn't the only one, though. Yaone shouldn't go through that loss again either._

No... she shouldn't. He knew, despite everything that had just recently happened, that she did care for him still. His death would hit her just as hard as it would hit Goku, possibly even worse since she had already experienced that kind of soul shattering pain before. He didn't want that, not if he could help it. He had promised both her and Goku that he wasn't going anywhere, and he'd be damned if anyone tried to make a liar of him.

Sanzo returned his attention to Hazel and arched a brow, demanding silently for an answer to his earlier question. Whatever emotion the bishop saw in his eyes confused the pale man something fierce, judging by the quick scrunching of his forehead. It told him just as clearly as if Hazel had actually spoken the words that the question had been very deliberate. That man was damned good at reading people if he picked up that one common thread they shared so easily. Either that, or they were all disgustingly transparent. For whatever reason though, Hazel Grosse was very carefully exploiting this knowledge for his own purposes. Unfortunately for them, it looked like Sanzo was the only one to catch on to this.

"The way I figure it, Mr. Sanzo," Hazel replied slowly and without taking his gaze away from the piercing violet one pinned on him. "I was given a gift by God, to use in helpin' poor folk all over this here continent."

"A gift can often be a disguise for a curse," Hakkai retorted sharply.

Hazel shrugged away the valid observation and turned up the wattage on his smile. "And I thought you were supposed to be the cheerful fella in the group. That's an awfully pessimistic thing to say, sir!"

"Don't confuse pessimism with practicality, _sir._"

The wounded look crossing the bishop's face actually appeared genuine for a change. "Y'all are actin' like I flit around collectin' random souls for vile purposes. I assure you, I don't. I made that decision upon first discoverin' this power of mine. That's why I only use the souls of youkai to revive people that are gone."

Sanzo jerked fully upward in his seat at that, a coldness settling into his stomach. So... _that_ was the point he was trying to make. He'd known for a while that the other three weren't humans with bad fashion sense and was letting them know in plain terms that he did intend to eventually kill them. Great.

"But... I don't get it," Goku exclaimed. It was obvious from the dark glint in his eyes that he at least had an idea of what the other man meant, but that he refused to accept someone would do that. Sanzo crossed his arms over his chest as if to hold back the bit of sadness that crept up on him at that. More and more on this damned journey, he was forced to watch as bits of Goku's innocence was chipped away. Yes, he knew the boy couldn't stay naive forever. It was part of growing up to lose that, but he couldn't help silently mourning that loss. Goku never had to experience the type of bigotry the bishop displayed so casually. He still believed that deep down in every cruel prick in the world was someone who needed a hug. That was about to change very shortly.

"What I'm sayin'. little fella, is that I'll only use my power 'til youkai are wiped right off the face of the earth," Hazel clarified coldly, all traces of his usual cheerful grin gone completely.

Silence crashed into the room with that little announcement. Goku's jaw worked a couple times, but no words came out as he slumped back in his chair. That darker look completely overtook his gaze as his worries were confirmed with those words. Sanzo let out a quiet sigh and felt his shoulder drop slightly. His gut sank as well as he sat back and watched more of Goku's innocence get crushed into dust. Gojyo shifted next to him, the hand on the table curling into a tight fist as something near hatred burned in his crimson eyes. Out of them all, the red head knew the best what this type of blind discrimination was like. As a half breed youkai, he'd probably dealt with the slurs and baseless hatred his entire life. Those burning crimson eyes rose and glanced across at Hakkai, telling the green eyed man silently that he better do something fast or there would be two less people standing in the room.

Unfortunately, Hakkai's entire body was rigid, his posture so stiff that Sanzo would bet good money bricks could be cracked over his spine. The hands folded neatly on the table top were so tight his knuckles her bleached white. His jaw was clenched hard and a bitter, frost-laced smile curved the corners of his lips ever so slightly. Gojyo wasn't going to get the stop sign from Hakkai. Hazel had pushed the other man too far with that one. Sanzo was exceedinly glad he wasn't in the bishop's shoes at this moment. A pissed off Hakkai was cruel enough. This Hakkai had moved way beyond being pissed and was bordering close to furious. That wasn't going to be good for anyone on the receiving end.

"So," Hakkai murmured, his voice low but carrying through the thick silence of the room. "Is that your goal, then? To eradicate youkai existance entirely?"

Hazel shrugged, eyes narrowed as he watched Hakkai closely. He could feel the dangerous vibes starting to pour off the normally polite man and seemed unsure about whether he really wanted to keep jamming at this particular button. Gat moving a fraction closer seemed to reassure him as his grin slowly began to reform. "Seems a noble enough cause, don't you think? Especially considerin' how those monsters are rampagin' all over the place and slaughterin' defenseless humans. The youkai problem here is far worse than anything back where I'm from. I'm doin' y'all a favor by helpin' you out."

"Why you-,"

"The youkai in Shangri-la went berserk because of the Minus Wave," Sanzo said quickly, cutting off Hakkai's outburst while pinning the bishop with his glare.

"Beggin' your pardon, Mr. Sanzo?"

"You asked a while back why we were heading west. That's why. We're going west to find out who started the Minus Wave, which is causing the insanity in the youkai."

Hazel's eyebrows rose and disappeared under the brim of his hat as he took a slow, deep breath and let it out in a very controled manner. He dropped his eyes to the ground and spoke without looking at any of them. "I can't deny that there's a right noble cause," he said after a brief pause. "But do y'all have any guarantee that the youkai'll turn back to what you call normal again once you're done?"

"Listen, cupcake, you're pushing it pretty hard now," Gojyo growled, whirling around in his seat sharply. His shoulder were shaking with barely restrained anger. Sanzo let out another quiet sigh and reached for his smokes. It was obvious the bishop didn't give a shit about what he said. If Hazel was so gun-ho on fighting those three, then he was welcome to try. All he'd been trying to do was keep the pale man from getting a massive ass kicking, but if this was what he wanted... Whatever.

"Think about it, though," Hazel insisted, ignoring the fact he'd just been called a pastry. "Back where I'm from, we never had this Minus Wave. All those mosters were dark sons of bitches to begin with. They killed without any reason to. From the very beginnin', we never had a system of cohabitation like y'all have got. Do y'all honestly think it took some crazy hoodoo to make 'em the way they are now? I'm tellin' you from outside experience, they're born that way. It seems most of the humans here have the right idea; kill 'em before they kill us. You four seem to be the only ones who don't agree."

"Our stand point is not your concern nor the issue of today," Hakkai shot back hotly. "The issue lies in the fact that we will _not_ sit back and allow you to murder a child of _any_ race before our eyes."

"Amen to that," Gojyo drawled, giving Hakkai an encouraging smile and a wink to show his approval of his friend's words. Sanzo felt cool blue eyes on him and met the questioning gaze with an arched brow and an exhale of nicotine. If Hazel was looking to him to restrain Hakkai's temper, he was going to be sadly disappointed. He agreed with Hakkai's reasoning completely. Besides, this argument was started by those three. He had every confidence they could handle this on their own.

Hazel sighed and shook his head as he readjusted his hat. "Y'all really are inhuman," he commented softly.

"Which makes perfect sense, seeing as we're youkai," Hakkai continued.

That caused both Sanzo and Gojyo to look at the man for a moment in shock. It was the first time either of them could recall Hakkai ever truly including himself in the youkai category. For years, it had always been 'the youkai'. When the hell had it changed to 'we youkai'? Gojyo shared a look with Sanzo, who shrugged away any knowledge of this sudden change in phrasing. Gojyo's grin widened further as he slouched back in his chair, shaking his head with something almost akin to paternal pride crossing his features. Hakkai was finally beginning to accept what he was, and fairly proudly too. The pained embarassment that normally would have followed him being outted as a youkai wasn't there at all in his stance. He knew what he was, and he wasn't hiding from it any longer. About fucking time!

The look on Hazel's face at that declaration was one of sheepish embarassment. He clasped his hands before him and tilted his head downward as if trying to hide the curve of lips and the slight pinking of his cheeks.

"Why keep quiet about it? Obviously, you've known that little fact for a while now," Sanzo stated.

Blue eyes angled toward him almost coyly as the bishop replied in a demure tone, "I was tryin' to be polite by pretendin' I didn't notice."

"That's bullshit!" Goku shouted, jumping up from his chair so hard that it almost knocked over. "Who cares if we ARE youkai, huh? Nobody here minds!"

"Nobody outside of this room knows though, do they?" Hazel asked back, smile widening a little as Goku faultered over this logic. "If they did, do y'all really think you'd even be allowed inside the gates?"

"I don't give a shit about all that," Gojyo said languidly, glancing at the bishop and his bodyguard out of the corner of his eye as he lit a cigarette. "What I wanna know is why you ladies haven't tried to kill us yet. I figure if you hate youkai so much, you'd try and kill us. So... how about it? Wanna try your luck against us? You win, you get to add three souls to your sick little talley."

Hazel glanced again at Sanzo, as if asking permission or offering an early apology for what was about to happen. Sanzo took a slow hit and allowed the man to see the confidence he had in his companions' abilities. He wasn't going to stop this. He doubted he could even if he could. This was for them to settle how they would, and he didn't doubt which side would come out victorious. Those three were the most stubborn bastards when it came to staying alive. They'd gone against psychos, gods, powerful youkai princes who needed to keep their fucking hands (and lips) to themselves... One holy man and his gun toting man-bitch were going to be easy for them. They weren't about to lose to those two.

A small, satisfied smile came to the bishop's face as he returned his gaze to the other three, apparently satisfied that Sanzo was not going to get between him and the challenge being issued. He chuckled in a light, friendly fashion and replied, "I think myself a _very_ lucky guy, sir. Are we going to settle this little wager here, or somewhere a little more... private?"

"A more private setting sounds more appropriate, don't you think?" Hakkai suggested as he stepped around the table with a determined, frigid look to his face. Both Gojyo and Goku were right behind him as they headed for the door. "Sanzo, would you please excuse us for a while?"

"A while?" Gojyo snorted sarcastically. "This shit isn't gonna take longer than five minutes, Hakkai."

"I'd like to think Gat and I are a wee bit tougher than that," Hazel complained as he opened the door and motioned the others through politely.

Sanzo glanced up from the table when he felt wide, golden eyes on him. Goku was hesitating before crossing out of the room, giving him a slightly nervous look. "What is it, Goku?" he demanded.

"Uh... aren't ya at least gonna come and watch, Sanzo?" the boy asked hopefully.

Letting out a rough breath, Sanzo stood and crushed his cigarette out. Dumb question, as usual. Of course he was going to fucking watch them beat the shit out of those two! "I'm not getting involved. This is your fight, and I'm not a referee," he muttered as he swept by the now beaming face that was turned up to him.

"That's cool. I just didn't wanna leave you all by yourself."

Sanzo grit his teeth and ignored the comment of, "Aw, isn't that just sweet, Gat?" from behind his back as he stalked down the hall toward the front door. Yes, this was yet another delay in their journey west, but for once he wasn't complaining about it. If anything, he was actually a little glad for the stall. It would give him just a little more time to debate on whether or not Tamal would be their next destination on the map.

Because, despite what that fucking voice said, the debate was far from being resolved.

----------

**_KA-BOOM!_**

Yaone grinned as the sound nearly deafened her ears and shook the ground she was crouched low on. Carefully, she peered up and over the boulder she'd used as a make-shift shelter and had to fight to keep back an entirely ridiculous squeal of delight. Where once there had been a small clearing with four training dummies in the middle, there was now a big, black crater with little bits of burned leather, metal shrapnel and sizzling grass. The trees that remained standing were speckled all over with more shining, metalic bits that had been shot off as the mother bomb exploded and released the smaller discs that triggered the release of shrapnel as a weapon. It had worked, and perfectly so!

"Holy shit!" Dokugakuji's exclaimation carried down from the hill top he, Kougaiji and Lirin were watching on.

"YAONE!" Kougaiji shouted, a hint of worry tinging the sharp command he made of her name.

She stood fully and waved up at him to indicate she was alive and in one piece.

Lirin whooped excitedly and began racing down the hill to survey the damage for herself. The other two walked at a more leisurely pace to the sight of the wreckage. "Oh, woooow," the princess marveled as she stuck the toe of one boot into what looked like the remains of a dummy's torso. "Too bad we can't use this on Baldy-head though. It'd make the scripture-thingie go ka-blooey, too!"

Yaone forced the smile she knew the girl expected out of her at the mention of destroying the Sanzo party. "There are other uses for this particular explosive, Lady Lirin. Don't worry about that."

The girl gave her a grin that threatened to split her head clean in half. "That looked really awesome from up there, too! At first, it went off and I was like, 'Oh, that's ALL it does? Looks like a regular old bomb to me'. An' then all of a sudden, there was all this flashing an' hissing and then lots of poppin' noises and then... this!"

"Whoa-ho!" Dokugakuji said as he shook his head. He let out a low whistle, eyebrows nearly to his hair line. "Damn, when you said massive amounts of damage, you weren't kidding! We'd be lucky to find a toenail in this mess."

She blushed a little at the praise, clasping her hands behind her back as she shifted her attention to Kougaiji's shrewd expression. He was scanning the area with an almost critical eye, one brow quirking a little as he saw that the full damage radius extended well beyond the initial blast area. "My lord, does this meet your requirements?" she inquired nervously. So many, many hours had been put into perfecting this for him. If he didn't approve of it... it almost brought tears to her eyes to think of how many more hours she'd have to endure just to get it exactly to his specifications.

Kougaiji stopped surveying the area to toss her a pleased little quirk of lips and eyes that were warm with something that didn't necessarily have to do with the project results. "This is perfect, Yaone," he said. "How soon can you make more of them?"

Yaone let out a relieved little breath, the tension over waiting for his response seeping out of her completely. "I can have at least twelve more by the end of the week, my lord." Technically, she could probably do maybe twenty, but seeing as she would be leaving for Tamal in the next day or so...

"That's it?" he asked, obviously disappointed at the number. "I would have thought it'd be more than that."

Her blush deepened at that, and she had to clear her throat as she thought quickly for an excuse. "Well... I need to aquire some more supplies to create more than that, my lord," she hastily covered. There, that not only would cover as to why she couldn't produce more, but it would also explain why she would be missing for a couple days. Two birds with one stone... not bad.

"Get me a list of the supplies and I can send someone out to get them for you," Kougaiji insisted. "It'll be more time effective to have someone running around while you fabricate the explosives."

"My lord... I don't think that would be very practical at all. There are so many different variables in the components, so many things I know to look for that another person wouldn't. There are at least five different types of gunpowders, more plastic pieces than I can count-,"

"Then make it a detailed list."

"Yes, but if some of my vendors don't have the correct product, then there are substitutions that could be made, but it's not something..." Her voice trailed off at the resolute gleam to his eyes. Yaone's cheeks fanned hotter when she realized she'd been arguing with the prince and she quickly bowed an apology to him. "I'm sorry, my lord. I didn't mean to argue your order."

"She has a point though, Kou," Dokugakuji stepped in, keeping his voice and expression neutral. "Unless you have another explosives expert on retainer, a normal servant isn't going to understand shit of Yaone's measurements, nor would they know if certain parts of chemicals could be exchanged out for others to produce the same effects. It only makes sense to let Yaone do the shopping since she knows exactly what she needs and where she can get it."

It was obvious Kougaiji wasn't happy with the swordsman's logic. His fists tightened briefly out of irritation before his shoulder relaxed in defeat. "Fine," he practically snarled. "Go get what you need, but I want you to start training an apprentice. It makes no sense whatsoever that only one person in my service understands all this." He stalked off into the forested area without seeing the greatful look Yaone tossed at Dokugakuji. There was a reason she needed to leave Houtu Castle, but it wasn't entirely for supplies and he knew that.

"So... does this mean you've gotta teach someone else how to make things explode?" Lirin asked as she thoughtfully chewed on her lower lip.

Both Yaone and Dokugakuji exchanged looks. They could both see the wheels turning in the young princess' head and it made them smile. "You go after him, I'll handle this," Dokugakuji offered before clamping a hand down on Lirin's shoulder. She was looking over the destruction now with wide, starry eyes and what looked suspiciously like drool just beginning to form on her lip. No... it wouldn't be a wise thing at all to allow the girl anywhere NEAR the explosives lab!

Yaone nodded and headed off in the direction Kougaiji had stormed off in. She hadn't meant to anger Kougaiji. If she didn't have such an important reason for leaving, she wouldn't have forced the issue of sending someone else for supplies at all. But... she had to. In three days time, she had to be in Tamal. That was where she had told Sanzo to meet her, and that was hopefully where he would be. Things were dicey at best between them, and she wanted desperately to fix that... but he had to learn to bend a bit. She loved him and she wanted to continue seeing him as much as possible, but she was tired of constantly adjusting to his emotional insecurities. She suspected strongly that Sanzo did love her too, and that all of this groundless jealousy and constant arguing was because it scared him. Sanzo had been hurt before, she knew that and couldn't fault him for his actions in that regard. However, if he wanted this to work, like he claimed he did, then he was going to have to learn to let people love him and to stop pushing them away.

She followed the path of cracked twigs and crushed underbrush until the trees began to fade to make room for a small, narrow stream that cut through the forest. Yaone looked around the peaceful, untouched scenery and felt her brow crease in confusion. Kougaiji had come this way, but he hadn't left it. There was no trace of which direction he'd gone off in. Fear began to curl into her stomach as she slowly pulled a small bomb from her side, scanning now for anything that could pose a threat. The last time Kougaiji had vanished without a trace, it was when the scientists had gotten their hands on him.

"What do you plan to do with that?"

She whipped around at the slightly amused question, hand poised for a throw out of reflex. She relaxed when she saw Kougaiji standing just behind her, leaning against a tree with a smile fighting at the corners of his mouth. "My lord... you startled me! Where were you?"

"Up there." He indicated the tree he was leaning against with a slight jerk of his head. "I needed to think for a bit."

"Oh. And was this sudden need to think in regards to my inappropriate outburst?" she asked softly, taking a step closer to him while being unable to meet his gaze. She hadn't meant to upset him at all by fighting an order he gave, especially in front of Lirin and Doku. She had just been so desperate to think of a reason that sounded plausible enough.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. Mostly, it was about how I was a jerk, and I shouldn't have acted so... gruff. You know I've always valued your opinion, and I would hate to think my attitude has discouraged you in any way from voicing it again."

Yaone smiled at him, folding her hands before her neatly. She was relieved to hear that was what was wrong, and not her. Next to fighting with Sanzo, she would be devastated to hear she'd displeased her employer. "I shouldn't have spoken against your orders in front of the others, though, my lord," she conceded, hoping to take some of his guilt away from him.

Kougaiji's boots crunched through the dead leaves and fallen twigs as he came to stand before her. Yaone's heart lurched, stopped and then pulsed hard as he disentangled her fingers from each other to hold one of her hands lightly. Oh, God... She swallowed hard, trying to find the words she needed to say. She didn't want to hurt him, but she loved Sanzo. She closed her eyes, opening her mouth to tell him to stop...

And that was when he finished the movement by pressing his mouth to hers.

She remained frozen, eyes open in shock, as Kougaiji kissed her. His arm circled her waist, pulling her closer to him as a pleased sound left his throat. Oh, God... She hadn't been expecting this! Why on earth was he doing this now? Sanzo was going to be- oh, shit! She shook her head and pushed gently but firmly at Kougaiji's chest when she felt his tongue trace along the tight seem of her lips.

Kougaiji instantly stopped, drawing back enough to give her worried eyes as his hands came up to cup her face. He moved again as if to kiss her and she drew back, sucking in a harsh breath as she looked away from him with burning hot cheeks. He blinked, surprised and confused, as his thumb brushed across her cheek tenderly. Shit... shit, shit SHIT! She could already see the jealousy burning in violet eyes. She had wanted to use their time together in Tamal sorting through the current problems properly, not adding to them. So much for that, she thought bitterly. There was no way she couldn't tell Sanzo about this. All she could hope for is that he wouldn't be too blinded by jealousy to listen to her.

"My lord," she whispered as she carefully stepped out of his embrace. He made as if to reach for her and she shook her head sharply, tucking her arms behind her back and out of his reach. "We can't be doing this. It's not right, and... and I think you can understand why."

"Yaone..."

Slowly, she shook her head as she continued to back away from him, her eyes scrunching closed hard as she fought with the tears. There was no gentle way to do this. She was going to hurt Kougaiji by rejecting him like this, but she had to. It was the only way to end it for good. Out of everything that had happened from the start of her relationship with Sanzo, this was by far the worst thing ever. She would rather have a hundred fights with the monk than be the one to break her lord's heart. At least with Sanzo she knew there was a way to resolve it and move on. There was no way to ease raw emotions or a sore ego. Yaone took a deep breath and kept her eyes closed as she prepared herself for the words she had to speak. "My lord-,"

"My, my... isn't this a cozy little scene." Nii's condescending drawl rolled across the small area from a few paces away. The scientist came fully into view from the partial shadows of the trees, grinning as if highly amused. His hair wasn't gelled as usual, hanging down around his face and taking away from the near leering expression he usually wore. He had a duffle bag in one hand and... no stuffed rabbit in the other? And were those actual SHOES he was wearing instead of his slippers?

Yaone frowned, ignoring Kougaiji's annoyed growl as she took over the human's appearance once again. Nii chuckled as he stepped between them, patting her head as if she were a child. "Oh, don't get so excited. I'm only going away for a few days, it's nothing permanent. As if I could leave such a pretty thing alone for very long."

"Keep your hands off her," Kougaiji snarled, grabbing Nii's wrist and jerking him around hard.

Nii flowed with the movement and Yaone only had time for a quickly shouted, "Lord Kougaiji!" before the scientist executed a perfect jab with his knee into Kougaiji's lungs. Kougaiji fell to his knees, gasping in surprise as the man stepped away from him, glasses glinting in the sun that filtered through the trees. One hand flew to his chest as he struggled to catch his breath from the surprisingly powerful blow.

"Sorry about that. I'm a little out of practice, you know," Nii said lazily. "Then again... I was only defending the lady from unwanted attention, after all." He smiled and gave a knowing wink in Yaone's direction.

"Take about ten steps back from Kougaiji now!" Dokugakuji's deep, fierce voice was a welcomed interuption. The swordsman came storming over to them, his sword in one hand and all his attention on the man who was calmly lighting a cigarette. Lirin was right behind him, but for once the girl wasn't leaping in to protect her brother. Instead, round, frightened green eyes watched from behind Dokugakuji's solid back.

Ni shuffled backward ten minescule paces, his smile widening as Dokugakuji growled at the blatant twisting of his words. "You never did say whether that was ten normal steps or ten baby steps," the scientist remarked. "If you're going to order people, you should be very clear about what it is you're ordering them to do."

"Fine, how's this for an order, prick? If you come within a ten foot diameter of Kougaiji, Yaone or Lirin again, I'm going to kill you nice and slow."

"Now that's much better! I knew with a little coaching you could be a good little drill sergent. But really, are the threats absolutely necessary? All I was doing was saving your lovely healer from unwanted sexual advances. The gentleman in me simply couldn't stand by and allow such crude behavior."

"You have no idea what you're talking about, Nii," Kougaiji bit out coldly. He was on his feet again and jerked his arm away from Yaone roughly when she sought to help him. Yaone let her hands fall to her side and stepped back just enough to give Kougaiji room to move should he need to.

Nii cocked his head to the side quizzically as the cigarette burned away between his lips. "Is that so? Well, I suppose you know what's best for you and yours, Prince Kougaiji. But I'm going on the record now for having said I told you so. We can continue this discussion when I get back. Okay, kids?" With that and another little chuckle, the man turned his back on them and continued to move through the forest, making no more sound than a squirrel would scurrying through the brush.

It took several minutes after the white lab coat had disappeared from view before any of them began to relax again. Lirin shivered, rubbing her arms as she gave one last scared look into the forest shadows. "That guy's really, REALLY creepy," she mumbled, stepping around closer to her brother.

Kougaiji automatically put a protective arm around her shoulder, his eyes narrowed and angry as he glared after the man. "I didn't even see him move," he hissed through gritted teeth. "How could I have not seen him move?"

"My lord, you weren't expecting an attack, especially not from him," Yaone offered as an explaination. She herself was shocked by the uncanny speed that the doctor had demonstrated mere minutes ago, but she was even more so by the fact that he had all but said he knew she was seeing someone. Panic struck her at the thought that perhaps she hadn't been as clever as she'd thought at covering her trail, and that someone else in Houtu Castle knew her secret. But... if Nii knew who she was seeing, then surely he would have mentioned it by now, either to Kougaiji or to Gyokumen Koushu. That man loved to stir up trouble, and her sleeping with the enemy would have certainly done that. The fact that he obviously hadn't must mean that he didn't know specifically who. He was only hinting at it to see if she would suddenly spill everything in confession, and thus give him knowledge he didn't already have. That son of a bitch!

"That's no excuse," he snapped. It was obvious that he was angry at himself, not her or anyone else. "If I can't even beat Nii, then I'm not ready to face Sanzo and his gang yet. I need to be better than this if I expect to win against them!"

"What do you mean, big brother?" Lirin asked, tilting her head back in his semi-embrace to give him a confused look.

"It means I don't want to see those four until I'm strong enough to take them out for good. _All_ of them." That last part was said with a good dose of bitter anger tinged over with jealousy. Yaone's eyes widened and shot to Dokugakuji questioningly. Did he say something to Kougaiji? God, if he did...

Dokugakuji didn't seem surprised about the tone their lord used, but he shook his head slightly to tell her he had nothing to do with it. She closed her eyes, her head dropping slightly. Oh, God... Kougaiji knew as well? She truly hoped he didn't, and not just because she was afraid his trust in her would diminish due to her relationship with the monk. If Kougaiji knew, and he'd still tried to kiss her, then this was mroe than just him being in love with her. This was now him being in love with her and thinking he could win her away from her current lover. It was beginning to turn into a silent competition between the two men, with her in the middle and as the prize. Yaone sighed wearily and rubbed her eyes. Why did men have to make things so damned complicated?

"Dokugakuji, let's go."

"Where to, Kou?" the swordsman asked with bewilderment as their lord turned sharply and began walking quickly back the way they'd come.

"We're training."

"_Now?_"

"Yes, now," Kougaiji replied sharply. "I want a good work out in before dinner tonight."

"Yeah. Sure thing, Kougaiji," Dokugakuji muttered. It was more than obvious he was not looking forward to their sparring session right now.

Lirin bounced up and down excitedly, the bells in her hair tinkling brightly in the tense air around them. "Oh-oh-oh, can I come watch, Kougaiji? Pleeeease? I've been really good recently, haven't I? Please, let me watch you kick Doku's ass!"

"Gee, thanks for the support, squirt," the much taller man replied sarcastically. The princess stuck her tongue out as a retort.

"Fine. Watch if you want, but this isn't a game. We're sparring for real, Lirin," Kougaiji warned before resuming his walk back to Houtu Castle.

Lirin whooped in excitement as she began to skip after him while chanting something about Dokugakuji getting a royal stomping. Dokugakuji shook his head, his jaw clenched tightly. "If I _do_ get my ass handed to me, it's because of your goddamn boyfriend," he said just loud enough for only Yaone to hear.

Yaone blushed and looked away from him. "I'm sorry, Doku." Her glance shifted to Kougaiji's back as her fears were confirmed by that simply statement. Kougaiji suspected, quite possibly even knew, that she was seeing someone in Sanzo's group. This was far more than just him trying to say he was attracted to her. It was officially in the realm of manly competition. Most women would have been flattered by the attention. All she could think about was the unbearable headache this could potentially cause in the relationship she was currently involved in.

Dokugakuji chuckled dryly before dropping a friendly arm around her shoulder and steering her after the still hyper princess and her more sober brother. "If it makes you happy, girl... I guess I can take a few bruises. Besides, Lixue thinks I look damned sexy after a good fight."

Her blush deepened as she jabbed his side playfully with an elbow. "That was entirely too much information, thank you!"

"What, you're saying you don't find blondie completely irresistable with a couple of bruises on him?" he continued to tease quietly. Lirin was chattering away with Kougaiji far enough ahead of them that there was no chance either could hear the hushed conversation.

The fight to keep her smile in check failed completely. Yaone gave him a sheepish look to go with the entirely too coy grin and muttered, "It gives me an excuse to get his shirt off."

Dokugakuji threw his head back and let out a loud burst of laughter that made his entire face turn red. It took several seconds of her shushing him and Kougaiji giving him a confused glare before the man settled down, wiping his eyes a little. He continued to chuckle as he gave her a quick hug with the arm he had around her. "I just hope to the gods he treats you good. If he doesn't... the bruises I'm gonna give him won't be sexy at all."

Yaone smiled and put her arm around his waist to give him an affectionate squeeze in return. "I don't think you need to worry about that, Doku."

"Guess what? I'm gonna worry about it until all this bullshit with the revival is over. He's still the enemy, Yaone, and he's a right cold bastard, too. Don't think for one minute he's gonna hesitate for you in a fight. And don't think I'm gonna hesitate for him if that happens."

She nodded once grimly as he layed those simple truths out in the open. It was yet another thing they would have to discuss in Tamal, the fact that they were still technically enemies. More and more, that concern was starting to weigh on her. Before, it had been fairly easy to work past or ignore completely the fact that they should be killing each other. But, with Kougaiji's new found determination to get the Maten Sutra at any cost, it was impossible to pretend that any longer. Eventually, most likely very soon, they were going to come face to face in a fight. What then? Would he really shoot her if she stood between him and Kougaiji? It would have to be like that, seeing as she wouldn't be the one to kill him. She would stand between him and Kougaiji because she was sworn to do so, but she would rather play a living shield for the bullets to give her lord a chance to escape than lift a fatal hand against the man she loved.

Great... she would rather stand there and allow Sanzo to kill her than risk being the one to kill him. She wanted to think that he wouldn't aim to kill her, but past experience proved otherwise. He had said countless times before that he wouldn't allow anything to get between him and his goal. She could very easily get in his way. If she asked him and he said that he would do it... she would be sick. Obviously, if he thought he could still pull the trigger on her after all the time they'd been together, then it was wasted time on her part. If he could still calmly tell her she would be dead if she stood in his way he clearly had never thought of this as anything more than a convenient screw. God... if he ever said that, she'd probably ask him to put a bullet in her. The pain of getting shot would be far preferable than those callous words.

Dokugakuji squeezed her shoulders again, causing her to look up into dark, worried eyes. "Hey... I shouldn't said that," he apologized softly. "You've got enough on your plate to deal with. You shouldn't worry about that happening."

"I shouldn't?" she asked dryly. "You've heard him before."

"People _can_ change, Yaone."

"Not him."

The much taller swordsman sighed, his hand rubbing her far shoulder soothingly. "Trust me, if anyone can make that sour bastard change, it would be you."

Yaone smiled at the compliment but didn't respond further. Truth be told, she was tired of thinking about the issues in her relationship. She wanted things to return to before, where the worst thing that might happen was Sanzo forgetting to leave the sudoku puzzle for them to do. She wanted so badly to stop thinking about the negative and get back to what really mattered. She sighed again as she matched Dokugakuji's increased pace as he hurried to catch up with the other two. Well, in a little less than three days, she would be getting her answers in Tamal.

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Goku dropped the stack of fire wood carelessly by the side of the fire pit Gojyo had dug up, his grin widening as he saw Hakkai already sticking meat and vegetables onto skewers. Shish kabobs... he LOVED shish kabobs! The tent was already set up with Hakuryuu perched on top, making little cooing sounds of encouragement. He didn't know who the little dragon was talking at, but even he seemed happy to have gotten rid of those other two. His smile faded slightly at the edges and a shiver raced down his spine as he remembered what it had been like staring into the barrel of Gat's huge freakin' gun. All he could think about was how he was going to die, that he wasn't going to see the end of the trip and that he was sorry his last mean had been breakfast and not meatbuns. And then...

Sanzo saved him.

He'd been surprised just like everyone else when the monk had stepped in, after saying he wasn't going to do a damn thing. He'd been more excited about that fact than he had about Sanzo saving him from getting executed. And that stuff with the youkai kid... He shivered again as a little bit of adrenaline pumped through his system at the replay of events. He'd known all along Sanzo wouldn't let that stupid bishop hurt the kid, but did he have to do it so dramatically? That was just damned scary!

Speaking of Sanzo though... he wasn't in the camp. Where did he go? Goku rubbed the bark clinging to his hands off on his pants as he surveyed the area, a little bit of worry creeping up on him. He didn't like Sanzo going off alone, especially with the way Hazel and Gat seemed to really, REALLY like him. That part bothered him super badly. Usually someone who really, REALLY liked Sanzo meant to hurt him. Just look at that guy Rikudo and those crazy monks who tried to turn him into a vegetable and... well... The idea was, if the person wasn't already in their group, and they decided Sanzo was their friend or whatever, that usually meant Sanzo was in trouble.

Of course... Yaone liked him. She had to, she was sleeping with him. So, did that mean she wanted to hurt Sanzo, too? It wouldn't really surprise him. She _was_ the enemy and all. He just got really mad at the thought that Yaone would hurt Sanzo like that. Sanzo liked her a lot. He didn't say it or anything, but Goku knew it for a fact. Besides, Hakkai was okay with them together, and Hakkai was a very smart man. If he thought something was wrong, he would have said something.

"Hey, has anybody seen Sanzo?" he asked, turning around to look at where Hakkai was slapping Gojyo's hands away from the mushrooms.

"Oh, you mean Uber Prick?" Gojyo sneered. "He took his pouting ass off somewhere in that general direction." He waved his hand vaguely and the thick evergreens growing up the side of the mountain they were about to cross over.

Goku scowled at Gojyo before picking up a clump of dirt to lob at the red head. "What'dja do to him this time, Gojyo?"

"ME? I didn't do sweet fuck, chimp," the kappa shouted indignantly as he dodged the bit of earth aimed for his chest. "It's Hakkai's fault Sanzo's in a pissy mood!"

That made him blink, his jaw dropping slightly as he looked at Hakkai. Hakkai continued to fix the skewers, a faint pink to his cheeks. "Hakkai...?"

Hakkai sighed as he stabbed a bit of raw chicken on top of a slice of onion. "I'm afraid Gojyo's right, Goku. I did indeed set Sanzo off this time."

"How... why'd ya... What'd ya DO?"

"We had... a disagreement concerning the route."

Gojyo snorted and rolled his eyes as he lit a cigarette. He automatically took four steps away from the food and Hakkai, avoiding the lecture he would have gotten about smoking so close to the food. "Let me elaborate," he drawled. "See, Sanzo brought up that big friggin' town that was mentioned at breakfast, and Hakkai told him hell no were we going there because that douche bag bishop and his side kick said _they_ were gonna go there."

"I didn't say it quite like that, Gojyo," Hakkai muttered. "My exact words were that Mr. Hazel had said he and his comrade were going to be heading in that direction, and that I'd had my fill of traveling with a sociopath and would rather not go. Sanzo was upset and walked off to collect himself."

"To collect himself? Sulking is closer to the truth," Gojyo teased, snickering even as Hakkai gave him a dark glare.

"Really, Gojyo, you _could_ try and be a little more sensitive to the situation."

"Look, just because his holiness thinks he can get his rocks off by making us drive-,"

"Who is this 'us' that you're speaking of in reference to driving? I could have sworn I was the only driver in the group."

"Stop interupting me, man. All I'm saying is..."

Goku tuned out of the conversation, his eyes narrowing as he stared off in the direction Gojyo said the monk had gone. Why would Sanzo wanna go anywhere NEAR that creepy bishop again? He was happy to be camping for a change! No more weird comments about trays or aunts. No more crowding in the Jeep and, best of all, no more of that I-hate-youkai crap. So why in the world would Sanzo wanna go to a town where they'd have to put up with all that crap again? He glanced over his shoulder at Hakkai and Gojyo still carrying on with their fake argument before shoving a pine branch aside and following after Sanzo.

He stopped a couple times as he walked, sniffing the air that was heavy with sticky sap and crisp pine smells for any trace of Sanzo. It was hard to find, but eventually he did in the form of cigarette smoke still clinging in the air. Grinning happily, Goku moved quickly toward that smell, tripping a little as his feet got caught in tangled roots that seemed to appear out of nowhere. He pushed, shoved and ducked his way through the thick, prickly branches until he came to a small break in the forest where a boulder covered over in moss showed the first real signs of the mountain they were about to cross over.

Sanzo glanced up from where he was leaning against the rock, one arm folded across his stomach while the other brought the cigarette Goku had been tracing to his lips so he could take a long, slow hit. Goku grinned, pleased with himself for having found his friend so easily. The monk exhaled slowly, the grey smoke making fancy little swirls in the early twilight air. "Well, are you going to say something or stand there gaping?" Sanzo demanded sharply.

"I was just wonderin' where you went," Goku replied, not at all detered by the gruff tone. He went over to the taller man and climbed easily up to a fairly smooth outcropping of the boulder. His knees were now by Sanzo's head, which made him grin even wider for finally being taller than everyone, even if it _was_ with some help. He liked his small view of things. the hill sloped downward a little away from them, giving a really nice display of thick, green forest just starting to turn black with the approaching of night. Crickets were beginning to come out, as well as a few stray fireflies and a bat or two. This had to be one of the prettiest places they'd ever camped at, he decided as he gave a happy little sigh.

"You found me, now leave," Sanzo bit out as his gaze followed Goku's out over the lovely view that they shared.

"Fine, but first you've gotta tell me why you're mad," Goku answered. He wanted to swing his legs, but with them being so close to Sanzo's shoulders... probably not such a good idea.

"I'm not mad."

"Then why're you upset?"

"I'm not upset."

"Saaanzooo!"

Sanzo shot a glare up at his charge but surprisingly didn't reach for his fan. Goku cringed out of reflex before slowly relaxing when he realized that paper terror wasn't going to be used on him. "What do you want, Goku?" the monk demanded.

"I just wanna know why you're not happy right now," Goku replied, leaning forward so his elbows rested on his knees.

"Hmm, let's see," Sanzo said mockingly as he pretended to think. "We're stuck outside. We have to cross yet another goddamn mountain. I didn't get much sleep the night before and my breakfast was ruined because you three just had to get into a pissing match. I think I've earned the right to be just a little irritated."

"Yeah, but on the good side? At least we don't have ta travel with that Hazel guy any longer. Ya've gotta be happy about that, right?"

Most people would have taken Sanzo's noncommited grunt as a negative response. Goku though knew better. Plus, he could see that twitch of lips that meant Sanzo was smiling a little. It didn't last long though before the scowl came back full force. "It doesn't change the fact that it's going to be at least a week before we see another hotel room. If we'd gone the other way, it would have been in about four days or so."

"But that would also mean we'd be sharin' a town with that creep," Goku persisted. "Thanks, but no thanks! I'd rather sleep on the ground than a nice, fluffy bed in the same buildin' as _him_! Why do you wanna go there so badly, anyway?"

The arched brow and the the expression on Sanzo's face said enough. Goku heaved a breath and looked away, chewing on his lower lip as his stomach suddenly sank a bit. Oh... that was why. Yaone was gonna be there. So now Sanzo was deciding what way they were gonna travel because of her? Goku tucked his legs up on the ledge and stared down at the top of Sanzo's head. "Sanzo, can I ask you somethin'?"

"Depends. Is it stupid?"

"Well... _I_ don't think it's stupid. You might think so."

The monk was silent as he took another hit, held it briefly and let it out into the air. Thankfully, the breeze was blowing in the right direction so that nasty grey stuff didn't waft up to where Goku sat. "What do you want to ask?"

"What's love like?"

Sanzo snarled and snapped a particularly nasty glare up at Goku. "Excuse me?" he demanded with nothing but coldness in his voice.

Goku ignored it and plunged onward with his questioning. "Well, I've been tryin' to figure it out for a while now. That's why I asked Gojyo an' Hakkai how to date girls an' stuff."

"Stuff? What do you mean by stuff?"

"You know... like kissin'," Goku explained, confused by Sanzo's sharp tone. What the heck did he THINK Goku meant by stuff? The answer suddenly smacked him in the head and Goku's eyes widened before he shouted, "Not THAT! I'm not nasty like Gojyo, Sanzo! Geeze..."

"Well, how the hell do I know what that pervert's been teaching you?" Sanzo shouted right back. "You said you asked him how to date, so I can only imagine what kind of corruption he's passing along to you!"

Goku growled and hung his head, a shudder running down his spine at the very idea of asking Gojyo to talk about sex. "I just asked him about datin', not about havin' sex. Ew... gross, now I can't get that picture outta my head!" Gojyo having sex... yuck!

"Hmph, serves you right for that. So?"

"So... what?"

Sanzo blew smoke out harshly and rolled his eyes. "So, what did that worthless kappa have to say about love?"

Goku shrugged, scratching his head when a sudden itch raked across his scalp. "He got all loopy an' weird about it. He said love was kinda like bein' shoved off a cliff. It's all fun an' stuff when you're fallin', but when you hit the ground it hurts really bad. See, if it's like that, I don't ever wanna be in love!"

"And what did Hakkai say?"

"He got real quiet about it. He said it's the most horribly great thing in the world. He said it's kinda like goin' crazy in your head an' heart, an' there's no way to stop it. That sounds worse than the way Gojyo described it."

Sanzo gave a soft laugh and that twist of a smile as he dropped the butt of his cigarette and ground it out. "You got two pretty good answers for you question. Why bother asking me?"

"Cuz I don't get it. The way they talk about it, fallin' in love with a girl doesn't sound so great. I mean, bein' pushed off a cliff? Goin' crazy without a way to stop? Who really wants that? So, I figured I'd ask you. Y'know, see what you think."

The monk crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head down toward the ground. Goku didn't need to see his face to know his eyes were closed. What he didn't know was whether or not he was gonna get an answer at all. Sanzo was quiet for so long he began to think the monk had fallen asleep. Goku leaned forward on his ledge, trying to peer down and see if that really did happen. Sanzo had done it before to him...

"It's something you need to form your own opinion on, Goku," Sanzo finally said in a tone that was barely audible. "It's different from person to person. Where one person will tell you it's the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to them, another will tell you they'd rather stick safety pins in their eyes than do it again. It's one of those things that can either bring people together so strongly that they feel invinsible, or it can turn people against it each other more fiercely than hate. You're definition of it is going to be different from theirs, and different from mine."

Goku blinked, his eyebrows drawing down tightly as he stared down at the monk's head. That... was different. He never would have expected Sanzo to answer a question like that to begin with, but he did and it was weird. In a way, it wasn't like his friend at all... and then again, it kinda was. Sanzo hadn't given him a straight 'this is what love is' answer. It wasn't a yes or a no or a maybe. He said Goku would have to form his own opinion.

Shifting a little closer to the edge, Goku leaned forward as far as he could and said, "Well, until I find out, what's it like for you?"

Sanzo choked while lighting his new cigarette and nearly dropped the white stick to the ground as his eyes widened in surprise. "What... was that? You're in love, aren't ya?" he demanded through the coughing fit.

Goku grinned happily at taking the monk so off guard with his question. Sanzo looked so funny when he was surprise! "I mean, you've gotta love _her_, right? Otherwise, why the hell would ya try an' drag us after creepy Hazel?"

The glare boring into him made him shiver and want to scoot back as far away from the ledge as possible. He gulped and forced himself to remain where he was. They stared at each other for so long it felt like time was actually standing still. _Kinda like on the mountain, when I first saw hair like the sun..._ Sanzo was the one to break the hold first, resettling his back against the rock with something that sounded vaguely like a muttered death threat. He took a hit off his cigarette and held it for a long time before letting it escape as he said, "Frustrating."

"Huh?" Wait... frustrating? Was Sanzo talkin about _him_ or love?

"It's frustrating as hell. It makes you want things you never really wanted before. It makes you do things you normally wouldn't. It gives you fucking migraines every goddamn hour of the day, until your head feels ready to explode from a combination of it and the constant idiocy surrounding you. That's my definition of it."

"Then why are you doin' it? If it's that bad, why don't you just quit?"

Goku could almost swear he saw Sanzo smiling if he bent low enough. He couldn't be positive though, from this angle of things. "Because the things it makes you want, and the things it makes you do, are worth the headache and frustrations involved." With that jaw dropping statement, Sanzo headed back through the woods toward their camp, leaving Goku gaping up on his perch at the back of ivory robes.

Whoa... He blinked and shook his head to see if maybe he'd been sleeping the whole time. He pinched himself and yelped when it hurt before returning rounded eyes in Sanzo's general direction. Whoa! Sanzo had all but said he loved Yaone. That was... he didn't know _what_ it was! Unbelievable? Crazy? Unheard of? All of the above? Yeah, that one sounded good. It was all of the above! Goku was a little surprised at himself, too. Before, whenever he thought about Sanzo and Yaone it would make him angry. He didn't understand how she could at one moment be the enemy and the next moment be out buying cigarettes for Sanzo in the rain. He hadn't liked it at all that she was moving in on things he would do for his friend. It was his place, his role in Sanzo's life, and he wasn't gonna let go of it so easily.

But then... he'd finally talked to Sanzo about it, without him getting too mad. He'd been right that something was bothering his friend about the thing they had going, but maybe he hadn't been one hundred percent right. It really, truly seemed that Sanzo was... happy? Naw, not happy! Content? Yeah, that was about it. Sanzo was content with being bothered over it. He didn't care that Yaone was on the side trying to stop them. He liked her... no, he _loved_ her. Love is stronger than like, and if Sanzo got all kinds of protective of things he liked, Goku could imagine how it was gonna be when Sanzo loved something. Oooo... that pervy kappa better watch his mouth and hands! Sanzo wouldn't bother kicking his ass over this. Sanzo would probably flat-out kill him for real!

Goku jumped down from his perch, grinning as images of Gojyo screaming like a girl while Sanzo pounded into him with a fan went through his head. Actually... that would be kinda funny! Maybe Gojyo _should_ act stupid the next time they saw Yaone, just to piss Sanzo off. Of course, he didn't like when Sanzo was upset. So, naturally he'd have to help kick the watersprite's ass, too. Then, Hakkai wouldn't like Gojyo talking to a lady like that, so _he'd_ have to join in as well. It'd be just like that time the stupid jerk ran off after Kami-Sama! That was fun!

Well, at least one thing was certain now, Goku thought as his nose picked up the delicious smell of shish kabobs cooking over the fire. His pace increased as his stomach lurched hungrily. Yaone made Sanzo feel good. Whatever made the monk feel good was worth protecting in Goku's book. Besides when she had to fight Hakkai, he would make sure nothing hurt her. Yaone had just become important to Goku for the simple fact that Sanzo loved her. And whatever Sanzo loved was automatically on the top of his list.


	40. Chapter 40

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I... am sick. Very sick. I haven't slept straight through the night in almost three days. When I COULDN'T sleep, I was writing and hoping like hell I wasn't writing crap. If I did, I apologize. Thank you to Greyliliy for getting back to me about Gojyo's bit here. Also, a wonderful, glorious shout out and thanks to LilyGinnyBlack. If no one has read it yet, she's written a one-shot scene that takes place during Enemies, Right? It's fantastic, and something I wish I'd had the foresight to write myself. I really do encourage everyone to check it out, as I feel it actually enhances this fic immensely. So... I'm gonna post this now and maybe start something else seeing as I'm sick and my body won't let me sleep. Geh.

----------

_Sllluuuurp!_

Hazel made a disappointed little hum in his throat as he pulled his boot out of the nearly five inch thick mud hole he and Gat had stumbled across while walking. His pale eyes scanned forward and saw this muddy trap continued for some way. The grass wasn't much better than the road itself, the only difference being that it at least had a little color to disguise the slick, sucking mess beneath. His attention shifted over his shoulder at a rather loud sucking sound followed by Gat's annoyed grunt. "Y'all right back there, Gat?" he called.

"I'm fine," the big man confirmed as he took another step. His large boot instantly sank underneath a wash of murky brown sludge.

"I'm beginnin' to suspect we shouldn't have ended things on such a sour note with Mr. Sanzo," Hazel continued conversationally as he took another step and quickly threw his arms to either side to keep his balance as the thick goo nearly threw him over. "It certainly would have made travelin' a mite easier in a Jeep!"

"Hn."

That grunt meant Gat agreed. After so long together, he was most proficient in Gat-anese. Hazel sighed and wriggled his foot around in an attempt to dislodge it and take another step forward. He bit his lower lip in concetration and finally managed to yank himself free with a thick popping sound. There was drier ground ahead, where the road sloped upward over a small hill before leveling off into the tree line they were heading for. Not too much farther, really. Maybe another ten feet at most. Considering the fact they'd walked nearly half a mile already in this gunk, ten feet was almost close enough to do a victory dance.

"Well, they certainly were an interestin' bunch of characters, no doubt about that," Hazel continued optemistically. "That little fella... what was his name again?"

"Goku," Gat replied automatically, and with what sounded suspiciously like a little bit of annoyance.

Hazel glanced over his shoulder, frowning thoughtfully as he studied his much larger companion. Come to think of it, Gat was acting quite a bit more moody since their little scuffle with Sanzo and his monster servants. Now why would that be? It wasn't every day the expert marksman went up against such formidable opponents. Finally, as he sighed heavily and gave another sharp pull to release his foot from the mud, he asked, "Is somethin' botherin' you, Gat?"

"Not really, Hazel."

Huh... well _that_ wasn't the most reassuring answer in the world! At least the man hadn't lied and said everything was sunshiny wonderful. Hazel took another dragging step as he continued in a conversational tone, "Did I happen to tell you 'bout a tidbit of gossip I uncovered?" He was trying to knock Gat out of his morose mood with idle talk. It wasn't such a pleasure traveling with a companion who was antisocial. Besides, who didn't love a good bit of gossip every once in a while?"

"Was it about the mayor supposedly having an affair with another man from the last town?" Gat asked without any change whatsoever in his tone. Sometimes, it was difficult to tell whether or not Gat really cared or was bored to tears.

"Nooo... but that was a mighty explosive situation, wasn't it?" Hazel chuckled as he looked over his shoulder with a smile. Ah... there it was! The faint softening to Gat's rock hard features. It wasn't much, and not at all what any random person would notice, but he knew what to look for. It made his own edge of guilt at what had happened ease a bit to see his companion relaxing a bit. "The way his wife took that rollin' pin to him... The only thing more impressive than that was Mr. Sanzo wieldin' that fan of his, wouldn't you say?"

"Hn."

And just like that... Gat was back to being moody. Hazel's lips twisted briefly before he continued as if everything was just fine. "Well, speakin' of Mr. Sanzo, that's what my bit of barber shop talk is all about. It appears that on top of the drinkin', smokin' and cussin', he doesn't follow the vow of celibacy either."

Gat's heavy sigh made him pause in trying to dislodge his boot from the mud and look back with mild surprise at the sound. "I don't think any of them are gay, Hazel," the big man reasoned almost wearily as he wiggled his foot free carefully.

Hazel blinked, confused by the statement. Where in the world... oooh, yes! His laugh almost could have passed for a snicker, which he quickly stifled behind his gloved hand. Gat was talking about the rumors he'd heard _before_ in regards to those four and their preferences for bed company. "I'd say that half breed devil single handedly put _that_ rumor to rest," he conceded. "This one is about Mr. Sanzo's _female_ youkai lover."

"Are you sure?"

"Never would have believed it myself if I didn't catch the girl walkin' right in at that last inn. Not too bad lookin' either, even if she's a monster. But don't you find it a might odd that Mr. Sanzo, of all people, would be sleepin' with the enemy?" Hazel grimaced lightly at the squishing sound the proceded him placing his foot into soft earth.

"He doesn't see them as the enemy," Gat replied.

"And there is the problem, Gat. How many of them sons of bitches' souls have we collected so far? And how many of 'em said they were lookin' for Genjyo Sanzo and his scripture? These youkai are clearly tryin' to get that power from him, and yet he travels with three of them and has one for a pararmour. The way I figure it, if that she-demon was one of the 'good guys'," He indicated his doubt in any youkai truly being good by quirking his fingers into quotation bunny ears. "Then she'd have been travelin' with them from the start. She isn't, which leads me to conclude that she's _not_ one of the 'good guys'," and again he used the quotation gesture. "And that she is, in fact, only usin' him in hopes of gettin' the sutra."

"That's not possible, Hazel. Goku wouldn't let that happen."

"That little fella's like one of them miniature Doberman's. It may look like the full grown thing, but it lacks the bite and the fight of the real deal. Besides, Mr. Sanzo's not the type to let anyone know about his personal affairs. Could be that... um... what's his name again?"

"Goku." The name was said with an edge of impatience that Hazel found deeply amusing. If he couldn't cheer Gat up a bit, then he'd settle for pushing the bigger man's buttons. Any reaction was better than no reaction.

"Sorry, Gat. You know how flittery my brain all gets when I'm on to somethin'. Anyway, more'n likely Goku doesn't have a clue that Mr. Sanzo's seein' someone on a more adult level."

"So what are you saying, Hazel?" Gat asked softly and with an edge of wariness as if he knew that the next words out of Hazel's mouth were not going to be ones he liked.

"I'm sayin'," Hazel replied, panting as they finally made it clear of the sticky, nasty mud-mess in the road. He practically flopped down under a tree by the side to give his aching legs a break while they continued their conversation. "That Mr. Sanzo is also not the type of gentleman to get tied up with a woman, period. Every man, even one who's taken vows, knows how tricky and troublesome a woman and a relationship are. Mr. Sanzo's got enough goin' on in his life, not to mention he's not the most friendly of gentlemen in a social situation. Add to that the fact that this here woman happens to be a demon and unfriendly, and you know what that means."

Gat's yellow gaze said clearly he had no clue where Hazel was taking all this. Hazel's shoulders slumped in defeat when he noticed his point hadn't gotten through clearly. Gat wasn't stupid by any means, he just didn't like jumping to conclusions was all. The huff of breath he exhaled impatiently blew a stray lock of hair that his hat allowed to escape up off his forehead. "It means," he continued while toeing the mud off his boots. "That this woman obviously has Mr. Sanzo under some kind of hypnosis spell. She's controlin' his mind so he can't see the danger he's in. _Now_ do you see what I'm gettin' at? Genjyo Sanzo is blinded to the danger he's in, and those other three aren't doin' a blessed thing to help him."

"If that's the case," the big man said slowly, as if thinking it out while he spoke. "Then wouldn't it have made more sense to stay with those four to keep him safe?"

"Gimme a hand up, Gat," Hazel gripped the enormous wrist extended to him and allowed Gat's inhuman strength to almost lift him completely off his feet. He began brushing his coat and slacks clean of any dirt or grass that might have been sticking to it while ignoring the way his leg muscles still twitched occassionally. It wouldn't do to look unsightly when they got into town, now would it?

"If this were a normal situation, I'd say that's some mighty sound logic. However, we're goin' up against a bewitchin' creature, one that likes to ensnare men with her demon powers so that they don't know their peril until it's too late. All Mr. Sanzo would understand is that we got between him and his lover. Because of her sway over him, he wouldn't see the fact that we're in fact freein' him from her clutches. The only way we can stop this evil woman from gettin' her hands on that scripture is to take care of her _without_ him knowin'."

"Again, I would have thought we should stick with them then. Didn't you say she follows him from place to place?"

"Normally, she does. However... I happened to intercept a little note she left for him at the last inn. It was tellin' him that, if he wanted her, he'd meet her in Tamal. Clearly, this is a trap. She obviously meant to lure him there to take the scripture. There's probably a whole army of demons waitin' to ambush the other three so they can't get to Sanzo in time. And that, Gat, is why we're headin' to Tamal ourselves. Mr. Sanzo's probably half way over the mountain by now, and there's no way that healer fella's gonna drive all the way back to Tamal again just on his word. So... we go to Tamal, rid it of the demon curse, collect some souls and go along with our little journey westward." He smiled at his own brilliance before he scanned up and down the road to take in their surroundings. Lovely country side, really. He'd forgotten how pretty this area was.

"What we're doin', Gat, is called a good deed," Hazel continued as he motioned for Gat to follow him into the refreshing shade of the forest. His tone had dropped its jovial edge and was now leaning toward a sharper coldness that was a direct contrast to the little smile on his lips. "And, like most good deeds, there's no reward in it for us. All we're gettin' is the simple pleasure in knowin' that one more human in this place is safe from the threat of youkai. The sanzo priests are very important fellas in these parts. Imagine how crushin' it would be to the people to know they'd lost one more to these monsters."

"Still, it seems like we should have-,"

"Gat." The sharpness to his name was enough to silence the man completely. Hazel sighed and looked over his shoulder as he slowed his pace just a bit. So, _that_ was what the problem was. Somehow, his Gat had gotten attached to those four. In particular, he suspected, that little one, Goku. He hadn't thought much about the two of them sparring all night long, but now that he did think about it... Hazel sighed again and rubbed his eyes, haulting completely in his stride. "You wanted to go with them, is that it?" he guessed.

Gat's utter silence was more expressive than if the man had suddenly leapt into the air and screamed 'yes' as high and loud as he could.

Hazel let out a low breath, his stomach for some reason knotting tightly. After all these years of solidarity... and Gat preferred to be with a monsterous child over him? He understood the bond between him and the marksman was... unique, but he'd thought that it had grown and changed over time to the point of being steel-forged strong. Deep down, though, he'd always kind of known it wouldn't last. He'd be left alone again... so alone. He cleared his throat lightly and forced his voice to ask as calmly as possible, "Am I botherin' you, Gat?"

"I didn't say that," Gat said quietly.

"Then why are you angry?"

"I'm not angry!" This was said with a harsh fierceness that made Hazel turn around completely in surprise. Never once had Gat ever raised his voice to him. Granted, it wasn't out of anger or any type of violent emotion, but it was still enough to shock him. Gat's gaze met his steadily, so empty of emotion they seemed almost dead. "I just want to be sure you know what we're doing."

Hazel let out the breath he'd caught when the confrontation first started. He smiled and adjusted the hat perched on his head. "I reckon I do know what I'm doin'. The question is, Gat, are you still with me on this?"

"You don't need to ask that, Hazel."

"I thought not. So, first things first. We find this demon temptress and dispose of her. You be careful of her, Gat. After all, if she can ensnare-,"

The wild cawing and cackling of crows followed by the frantic flurry of wings instantly had their attention following the inky black birds rushing skyward from the trees. A heaviness filled the air, like the press of deep night without the moon to show the way through the darkness. Gat's hands were on his guns as they both spun around at an amused chuckle.

"Welcome to Shangri-La... Little angel."

That voice... Hazel felt a shiver run down his spine even as a delighted smile cracked across his face. He knew that voice very well. The voice was warm and slightly coy. There was nothing to it that could account for the cold sweat it never failed to produce on him. It was associated with the shadows of his past, the light that led him away from all that and helped shape him to be who he was today. It was the voice of... "Is that you, Mr. Ukoku?"

Ukoku Sanzo smiled slyly, the light reflecting off his glasses to hide his dark eyes in a burst of brilliance. Dark hair fell to frame a narrow face that looked like it needed to be shaved. And around his shoulders sat the Muten Sutra, the one whose power was absolutely terrifying in nature. "I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten me... little angel."

----------

"WHOOOOA! What's that place down there?" Goku demanded eagerly, leaning far over the side of the Jeep to see the sprawling, enormous city far below the mountain path they were on.

"Holy shit, we haven't seen a place that big in ages," Gojyo added with delight. "Tell me that's where we're going, Hakkai!" The idiot! They were traveling up a mountain, _looking down_ on the city below! Unless Hakkai decided to drive them off the mountain (a very real possiblity, unfortunately) there was no way they would be going there.

"I could... but that would be a very cruel thing to lie about," Hakkai answered with a little laugh. "If I'm not mistaken, that's the city of Tamal below us."

"Isn't that where the other holy prick said he and his steroid loving boyfriend were going?" the red head sneered, his tone changing from one of wishful thinking to one of utter contempt in the space of a few moments.

"That _is_ where Bishop Grosse said they would be."

"And how much longer until we reach where _we're_ supposed to be?" Sanzo bit out around his cigarette and ignoring the muttered cussing in regards to Hazel from the back seat. Try as he might, he couldn't help but stare down at the enormous city himself. It had been nearly four whole days since they left Choudhre and that ridiculously miniscule clue on the map Yaone had left. He'd spent the first day fighting with himself over whether or not he should go there. When he'd finally decided that he couldn't ignore the feeling in his gut, he'd mentioned it to Hakkai in passing. Hakkai had vetoed it quickly and in a way that said it wasn't open for arguement. That had pretty much sealed it for him. He couldn't ignore the nagging voice that kept saying he was missing something, but there was nothing he could do to change that now. Hopefully, his gut instinct was completely wrong about going there at all.

"Umm... another twenty minutes, at most," Hakkai supplied cheerfully.

Twenty minutes. Thank the gods it wasn't any longer than that. Twenty more minutes until he could get a room to himself, a hot shower and possibly some form of alcohol to keep him company for the remainder of the evening. He wasn't picky on what form that alcohol came in, either. The local moonshine would do just fine if that's what he could get. Tonight was definately a good night to drink himself unconscious. Maybe then that voice would stop nagging him about Tamal.

"Ya think the place we're going is gonna have some food?" Goku asked hopefully.

"Not for baby monkeys," Gojyo instantly retorted.

"I'm not a baby an' I'm not a monkey either, you stupid cockroach! Use your antennae and fly off th' mountain!"

"You little shit, how many times have I told you NOT. TO. SAY. THAT!" Each shouted word was punctuated by a sharp rocking motion from the back due to the head lock Gojyo was trying to get Goku into.

"Ow... hey, quit it! OW! That's my hair, water sprite... SANZO!"

Hakkai quickly slammed on the breaks and sent the two in back slamming forward just as Sanzo was about to deal some holy retribution on their ass. Sanzo grit his teeth and reflexively braced himself against the dashboard to prevent the impending impact. Damn it all! Why couldn't Hakkai have given him a warning before pulling a stunt like that?

"Oops, sorry! Are you two alright back there?" Hakkai asked as sweet as pie. There was only a thin lacing of sharp sarcasm to his voice as he smiled back at the other two through the rear view mirror. Sanzo resettled himself in the front seat and silently promised to buy the green-eyed man a couple rounds of brew for that. He really didn't think he was in the mood to leave those two alive after he started wailing on them.

"Shit... Hakkai, I swear to the gods you broke something that time! What's the big idea anyway?" Gojyo demanded as he rubbed the back of his neck with a convincing wince of pain. Goku was still sprawled on the floor in back, groaning about his head.

"Oh... didn't you see the adorable little penguin? I didn't want to hit it, and it was coming so fast..."

"_Penguin? _Bullshit there was a penguin!"

"Stop yellin' at Hakkai!" Goku quickly defended, righitng himself in such a swift burst of movement it was almost like magic. "Just cuz he's tryin' to watch out for the critters-,"

"You honestly buy that there's a penguin RUNNING AROUND A FUCKING FOREST IN THE MIDDLE OF INDIA?"

"Well, why not? Maybe he doesn't like livin'... where... peguins live! Maybe he's on vacation!"

"Oh, that's rich! Hi, I'm a penguin and I think I'd like a bit of a holiday in India." A sharp slap punctuated Goku's howl of pain as the red-head placed one on the back of the kid's head. "You dumb ass! It was probably something else. Like a platypus or some other weird animal..."

Hakkai merely winced as Sanzo, with a sharp growl, swung around and began to lay heavily into the two of them with his fan. "SHUT UP! I will NOT listen to this bullshit all night! The next one to open their mouth before we reach town had better learn to fly real fast! Penguins and platypi DO NOT go on vacations either!" He let out a huff as he returned to his seat, fingers fumbling for his smokes. Nicotine... NOW. He lit up and sucked it down harshly to try and curb some of the irritation of traveling with two annoying idiots. Honestly, if the gods truly understood what he was forced to travel with... They'd probably would have made it ten times worse.

"Uh-oh... Sanzo's blood pressure is up. I'd highly suggest the two of you do as he says," Hakkai commented with a delighted little chuckle.

No words came back from the two behind them, but Sanzo could see two fingers being extended silently toward the driver. "Drive, Hakkai," he muttered irritably. Once again, he had to ask himself the same question he'd had since the start of this thing; why, out of all the highly ranked and capable monks in the land, was he the one who ended up with these three?

Hakkai did as he requested with another light chuckle, taking some of the narrow turns a bit faster than necessary in order to get them to town sooner. For once, Sanzo wasn't complaining about the wreckless driving. If it meant he could get a room away from the others and their ridiculous anticts, he was all for dangerous driving habits.

They finally pulled into town... or what looked like it was supposed to pass for a town. Rickety little buildings, no sign of any electricity... and a well in the middle of the road. Sanzo groaned and buried his face in his hand. Great... they were in hick-ville. His hopes for a hot shower and quiet evening alone were completely shot to hell now! The only thing positive now was the fact that most of these back country villages made some stronger-than-hell moonshine.

"Whose idea was it to come OVER the mountain again?" Goku mumbled from the back.

"That... would be me," Hakkai replied a touch nervously. "Well, I'm sure it's not all _that_ bad..."

"Yeah," Gojyo supplied dryly. "We _might_ get a bonus of fleas and dust mites in the beds."

Sanzo shivered at the very thought. It had happened before, and he was NOT happy about it. If Hakkai expected to remain breathing and functional in the morning, the man would pull some miracle out of his ass right now.

"Well... the boy at the last inn said this place had wonderful accomodations. For a mountain locale, of course," Hakkai tried to smooth over. Everyone in their group turned to give him a disbelieving stare. He cleared his throat and continued to drive slowly through the vacant street until they came to a sign that declared INN in large, red letters. The building was, thankfully, the most secure looking out of them all. It stood out clearly due to the red paint someone had slapped on the roof, as well as its overwhelmingly larger proportion to everything else int eh place. Hakkai and Goku unloaded everything quickly, and the Jeep instantly changed shape into its dragon form. Hakuryuu made a cooing sound of doubt as he settled on Hakkai's shoulder, red eyes flickering over the 'inn' questioningly. Not even the bleached-out parrot wanted to stay here it seemed.

Sighing, Hakkai led the way into the inn. Sanzo, who was following close behind him, suddenly slammed into the thin man's back as Hakkai came to a screeching hault. "Well... if this isn't a pleasant surprise!"

Peering around the other man's shoulder, Sanzo blinked and nearly dropped his cigarette. Outside, it looked like an oversized shack. Inside... He blinked just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Carpeted floors, spotless wooden stairs that were highly polished, plants housed in ornate pots... This had to be one of the better looking interiors they'd seen their entire journey. It was almost what he would term 'palacial' inside. As an apology, he would buy Hakkai _two_ rounds of drinks instead.

"Hot damn," Gojyo commented before letting out a low whistle. It took Sanzo a second to realize the pervert wasn't referring to the furnishings. The whistle and comment were directed at the woman smiling from behind the desk. The professional grade make-up and the designer made clothing did _not_ fit the back-country town at all. She was very obviously a city girl.

"Welcome to Jhimpar," she said pleasantly. "My name is Ming-Hu. Are we expecting any more in your party, or just the four of you?"

"Just us, thank you," Hakkai said into the silence that followed her question. "Do you happen to have four rooms available?"

"I'm sorry, sir, we don't. There's the national wildlife convention currently in town, and they always book rooms with us. I do have...," She flipped open a leather bound appointment book and scanned perfectly manicured nails down the page to check what was available. "Two rooms open. One is on the ground level, and the other is on the third."

"How many beds?" Sanzo asked before shoving his elbow hard into Gojyo's stomach. The man was gaping at the woman in the most obscenely obvious manner. He would NOT lose a night's rest in a place like this because the pervert was a slave to his cock.

"The ground floor is two full sized, and the third floor is king. We also include free breakfast in the morning with your stay here."

"What about the utilities?"

Ming-Hu blinked round, brown eyes in a brief moment of confusion before she laughed behind her hand. "Oh, you must be referring to the town exterior! No, we have full utilities, from electricity to hot running water. Jhimpar is huge with the rustic, outdoors type crowd. We try to fit the image externally, but offer every comfort internally. After all, the researchers' wives have to have _something_ to do during their stay here."

That sold it for him. Sanzo pulled the card out and slid it across the counter top. "We'll take the rooms." She smiled as she took the card and began the transaction.

"So who gets to sleep where?" Hakkai asked, breaking into the argument all of them knew was imminent.

"I call the double bed. I'm NOT sharing a bed with a dude," Gojyo announced quickly.

"I already called that room, and I'm NOT sharing a room with you," Sanzo replied darkly.

"Hey, I spoke up first, monk! I get the room!"

"Tough shit, I'm paying. If you're unhappy I'm sure they've got a kennel you can sleep in."

"Then if Sanzo gets that room, I get to share with him," Goku piped up immediately. None of them noticed Hakkai shrug or the what-can-you-do look he gave to Ming-Hu. She smiled as she placed four keys on the couter top, along with the receipt for Sanzo to sign.

"Perhaps there's a fair way to settle this," she suggested politely as Sanzo scribbled his signature across the bottom of the sheet. "Here are the keys to the rooms. None of you knows which key unlocks which room. The ground floor room is one-oh-four, and the third floor is three-thirteen. Everyone please take one and hope that lady luck is with them."

All four of them stopped and looked at her briefly before their gazes dropped to the keys lining the counter. Ming-Hu continued to smile pleasantly, even as Gojyo and Goku both made mad grabs for the first key in the line up. Sanzo took one and shook his head before following the two idiots down the hall on the first floor. If he didn't get this room, whoever he was sharing with would end up sleeping on the floor!

Hakkai took his key last and smiled his thanks to the girl. "I apologize if they seemed a bit rude. We've been camping for almost four days now," he explained.

Ming-Hu laughed as she marked off the taken rooms in her book. "It was the least I could do for the gentleman who's going to join me for dinner tonight."

Hakkai blinked, his smile fading in shock as she gave him a coy glance from under thick, dark lashes. "Um.. that is... are you referring to _me?_"

"Yes. Normally, I wouldn't approach a guest and a total stranger so openly, but you have a rather kindly air to you. You seem like you'd show a girl a good time, but do so respectfully. It would be a nice change from the usual lewdness that comes with working in a popular resort like this. So... meet me here around eight tonight?" She closed her book, gave him a final smile and walked further back into the inn, leaving Hakkai blushing like mad at the desk.

An enthusiastic shout of triumph from Goku was followed by Gojyo cussing roundly before stomping back up toward the front. "I can't believe this," The red head groaned. "The monk and his pet got the double bed! Unbelievable!"

"Well, you always said I was the only man you'd ever take to bed," Hakkai commented cheerily. He smoothed his hands down the front of his tunic, frowning slightly when he noticed they were a bit shakey and, grossly enough, sweaty. He was nervous? That was absurd! It wasn't like he was going to _actually_ go to dinner with her... was he?

Gojyo was about to make a retort of his own when he noticed the slightly far-off look on Hakkai's face. "Sooo... what happened?" he asked bluntly, digging his cigarettes out of his back pocket.

Hakkai blinked and gave his friend a faint smile as the red-head lit up and blew a cloud of smoke into the air. "I think... the clerk asked me on a date," he murmured.

Crimson eyes widened shortly before the red head coughed and choked on the hit of nicotine. "No... shit," he wheezed, as Hakkai gave him a solid thunk to his back to help. "You're going... right?"

"Actually..."

"No 'actually' about it! You've gotta go. I mean, she looks a little high maintainance for you, yeah, but... did you see how hot she looked? There is no way I in good conscious, and as your very best friend, can allow you to pass something as fine as her up. You're gonna go, you're gonna be the gentleman you are and you're gonna thank me for it in the morning. End of discussion."

Hakkai's smile widened a little at Gojyo's firmness in the matter. Sighing as the taller man slung an arm around his shoulder, he shook his head. "I never could say no to you," he relented. "But, I want it clear that I'm going at your insistance."

"And my insistance is law around here, don't you forget that!"

Oddly enough, as they walked together up to their room, Hakkai's nerves began to fade away into something almost like... excitement. He hadn't necessarily been looking for a date, but now that he had one... he was actually looking forward to having dinner with someone other than his three friends. He expected some form of guilt to stab through him while Gojyo continued to talk about the date that was still several hours away. Even more oddly than his excitement, it never came. He sighed and hung his head a little. No guilt at all about having dinner with another woman. Was this Kannan finally letting him go, or was it him trying to push her aside?

Gojyo's hand squeezed his shoulder and caused him to meet sympathetic crimson eyes. "Relax. It's just dinner. You're not planning to marry her or anything. Just think of her as one of us. Only prettier than the other two. And with breasts. Oh, and don't forget those gorgeous eyes of hers either. Dinner doesn't mean shit, okay?"

Hakkai smiled, relief washing over him. Trust Gojyo to understand what exactly he was thinking and to have the right level of humor and seriousness to quell his fears. "I suppose you're right. I mean, considering how many women _you've_ taken to dinner-,"

"Hey, hey! You know I'm damned picky about the ladies I take out. Stop making me sound like such a slut!"

Laughing at his friend's outrage, he produced the key to their room and opened it, allowing Gojyo to enter first and make all the appropriate comments as to how truly luxurious it was. Hakuryuu made a calming sound near his ear, which prompted him to reach up and pet the little dragon affectionately. It seemed even he thought Hakkai was worrying over nothing. He locked the door and set about unpacking what gear he had for the evening. A date. He... had a date. Oh, boy.

----------

Dokugakuji was a real dear, Yaone thought as she urged her dragon down a good five miles away from Tamal. Without saying too much to him (the walls of Houtu Castle were nothing but ears), she'd managed to convey to him some of what was going on between her and Sanzo. The swordsman had caught on easily and understood how very important this meeting was to their relationship. He hadn't flinched when she'd asked to borrow a little money from him and had somehow managed to keep Kougaiji busy elsewhere long enough for her to sneak away. It had nearly made her run back to hug him when she'd discovered her dragon was already saddled for her, along with a note tucked between the harness straps urging her to be careful and threatening harm to Sanzo should things go badly. God, she hoped the last wouldn't be necessary!

Her dragon yawned as she removed the saddle and hid it under a hole beneath the tree roots. She quickly knotted a rope through the harness rings and attached the length to the tree, giving her full grown dragon more than enough room to maneuver if she wanted to. Sparky was much easier to conceal, being such a young dragon and all, but he was still undergoing physical therapy and was therefore out of commission. She snuck by any chance she could get to visit him, making sure that he still remembered her scent for when he was well enough to fly. It seemed she had no worry there. Sparky practically stampeded toward her when he saw her. It was Lirin he was still wary of, but that unease was slowly being worked into trust again, under the constant watch of the dragon master and Kougaiji. Whatever the prince had said to his sister had obviously managed to penetrate and stick this time.

Yaone slipped on her limiters and grabbed her bag before beginning the walk to Tamal. She'd done a little research on the city and wasn't surprised to find out that such a large, wealthy place was also very expensive. That was why she'd had to borrow money from Dokugakuji. She simply didn't have enough on her to purchase even the cheapest room possible at one of the hotels, not to mention she wanted a room for at least three days. She knew it might take them longer to get to Tamal, due to possible hazards on the road, and would anticipate for that. Maybe, if things went well, Sanzo wouldn't mind picking up part of the tab. But that was only providing things didn't go badly. It made her want to puke at the thought that it very well could end between her and Sanzo within the next three days.

She made it to the busy, crowded city and fought her way through the over zealous merchants and normal hecticness that was city life, keeping her eyes open and searching for the hotel she was looking for. Nothing in this place was ranked below a five star, but The Plum Blossom Hotel offered the cheapest rates she could find on a moment's notice. She'd been lucky in the fact that Tamal, despite its size, was primarily residential and had only eight hotels within its limits. With the clue on the map, as well as the note left in Choudhre, Sanzo shouldn't have too much trouble finding her. _If _he decided to find her at all, of course. There was the very real chance that he wouldn't, seeing as what she had done was break their usual routine of things. He wouldn't be too happy about being forced to do the leg work for a change, but if he did... She smiled at the thought. If he did, she'd willingly tolerate any amount of pissiness from him over it.

She finally found where she was going and fought through the crowd of people to get to it, literally stumbling through the door as someone cussed her out for stepping on their new shoes. Yaone shot a glare back but ignored the woman otherwise as she approached the desk and smiled at the clerk... with yellow eyes. She couldn't help the little gasp and the step back she took at the sight of them. Dear God, they were the exact same yellow as those shikigami she'd fought not too long ago!

The man blinked and then smiled while giving a faint laugh. "Oh, the eyes. Sorry about that, miss. I keep forgetting how foreigners react to seeing them. Please, don't be alarmed. They're a result of a sickness that swept through these parts not too long ago. You'll notice a lot of people with yellow eyes here."

"I'm... I'm sorry. It was rude of me to stare, but..." But, what? She knew those eyes weren't from any sickness! Still, he seemed nice enough. He at least wasn't shouting 'kill the youkai' like the others. Forcing an answering smile to the polite tilt of his head, she retook the step and asked, "May I please have a room?"

"Certainly! We have a few open. Penthouse level contains all our suites and complete room service included with the room fee. Ground floor offers one full sized bed and a continental breakfast in the morning, but it's still very nice accomodations. We have rooms in between, if your interested."

"Ground floor is fine."

"Of course." The man flipped open his room chart and marked off a room toward the back corner of the hotel. "We collect half payment now and half at the end of your stay. Please refrain from packing our robes upon leaving or you will be charged for it. Fill out this form here, sign down at the bottom and I'll have one of the boys show you to your room."

Most of the information was name and home address, which she forged completely of course. She paid the clerk, carefully avoiding direct contact with the eerie yellow eyes as a bell boy took the key and motioned for her to follow him. "This way, miss. Please watch your step."

Yaone was about to thank him for informing her of the slight step upward when she noticed that he too had yellow eyes. Dear God... She rubbed her arms as the tinglings of unease spread across her skin. If Sanzo didn't get there soon, she might not be capable of waiting for him. After what had happened the last time she saw eyes like that...

The boy opened the door to her room and gave her a brief tour of it she barely heard. When it was obvious he was waiting for a tip by standing in the door way, she quickly dug out a little money and handed it to him. It was obvious from the disappointment on his face he'd been expecting more. He murmured a reluctant thanks and shut the door, leaving he alone in the room and feeling twice as nervous as when she'd initially left Houtu Castle.

Tossing her bag into one of the plush chairs, Yaone sat on the edge of the bed and clasped her hands together on her lap. Now she just had to wait and pray that Sanzo showed up. If he didn't... she wasn't sure what she would do.

----------

Who would have ever thought it would come to this? Gojyo grit his teeth, raised his fist and then dropped it again with a muttered curse as he stormed away a few paces from the door before retaking those angry steps and raising his fist again. Okay, this time he would do it. He would do it, he would... hell, no! He would NOT do it! Then again... the option of spending the evening alone was unacceptable.

Gojyo, despite all his best efforts, couldn't seem to find a girl who met his standards or was single. Sorry, he wasn't fool enough to move in on another's guy's woman, no matter how long her legs were. So, seeing as it didn't look like he'd be getting a date that evening, he'd decided to focus on getting Hakkai ready for his first date in a long time. Around seven or so, Gojyo pretended to be asleep while watching Hakkai. Hakkai... was reading on his bed. How in the hell could he be reading when he had a DATE in an hour? He ignored this, chalking it up to the fact that his roommate was probably unaware of the time. He shifted around a little on the bed, trying to make Hakkai look at the clock. It didn't work.

At seven-fifteen, Gojyo could feel himself getting antsy. True, Hakkai was a low maintainance sort of guy, but he had a _date_! Why the hell wasn't he getting ready? By the time seven-fourty five rolled around, something became very obvious to Gojyo; Hakkai had no intention of trying to pretty himself up for his date. Letting out a frustrated growl, he'd practically ripped the book from his surprised friend's hands and forcibly dragged him protesting into the bathroom. Ignoring Hakkai's bewildered questions, Gojyo had ordered him to shave ("But I already shaved as soon as we got here!"), fix his hair ("What's wrong with my hair?") and start getting naked ("EXCUSE ME?"). Meanwhile, he rummaged through his bag for his Kit of Sexiness.

The Kit of Sexiness was something every man should have. It contained all the items necessary to make a woman throw herself at the man. His kit consisted of a few different colognes, hair gel, extra cash that was carefully set aside in case he needed it, a small black book in which he'd written down some of his best compliments and pick up lines and his super sexy Zippo lighter that only got brought out for dates. Everything except the lighter would be needed tonight. He dug out a pair of his tightest jeans and the black shirt Sanzo until recently kept stealing from him before heading back toward the bathroom.

Hakkai had squawked a protest as he'd jerked the bathroom door open while he was in the process of getting changed. He only managed to get a few disjointed words of protest in as Gojyo told him to put the clothing on and then set about turning Hakkai from good looking into hey-baby-what's-your-name sexy. He may not be the one with the date, but he'd be damned if he sent his friend out looking less than his best. Especially with the hotness that was Ming-Hu! Hakkai yelped a little as Gojyo worked the gel through his hair roughly, using his hands to give it a tossled look. Women really dug that fresh outta bed appearance in short hair. Another yelp followed the careful selection and liberal application of cologne to his person. Not too much, of course, but enough so that he didn't just smell like hotel soap.

The final step in the process met with a bit more protest and almost a physical scuffle. "No! Gojyo, I need that!"

"Nu-uh! You can see just fine outta your other eye," Gojyo had insisted as he held Hakkai's monocle high out of reach over his head. "This is okay with your everyday gear, but not for date gear. I won't allow it!"

Hakkai surprised him by actually trying to make a jump for it, causing the red head to lean back over the sink with a teasing grin as he kept it deftly out of reach. The green eyed man continued trying to fight him for it, giving up only when Gojyo popped it into his mouth, eyes flashing triumphant as the slightly shorter man withdrew with a faint pout. "I do expect you to clean it by the time I get back," Hakkai muttered darkly.

"Do'n boud. Ee 'abby oo 'ave a dade," Gojyo said carefully around the piece of glass in his mouth.

Scowling even more fiercely as he took the money Gojyo held out for him, Hakkai had called back, "If you swallow it, I'm not giving you CPR!"

Gojyo had chuckled, knowing the threat was empty, and had removed the monocle from his mouth before he actually _did_ swallow it. After cleaning it off, he'd stretched out on his bed... and realized it was very quiet in his room and that not only was he bored, he was lonely. It had taken him another twenty minutes after that before he'd decided it was absolutely not allowed that he sit alone while Hakkai had a date. At this point in his evening, he didn't much care who he spent the evening with.

Which was how he'd ended up outside Goku and Sanzo's door, fighting with himself to just knock and get the embarrassment over with. He knew without a doubt that the two inside were going to rip him open for having a date, and that ripping open part of the evening would become a full out slaughter when they inevitably asked where Hakkai was and he had to tell them. He did the whole pace, start to knock, retreat and repeat routinea couple more times before he uttered a disgusted snarl and finally knocked on the door. He'd rather give the monkey ammo to shoot his ego with than sit in a room by himself drinking and smoking. At least here he had a smoking companion of sorts!

The door opened showing Goku ins his pajamas. Curious golden eyes widened briefly before relief flooded across his features in the form of a huge grin. "Man, am I ever glad to see you, Gojyo," the boy declared quietly as he stepped aside to let the taller man in.

Gojyo arched a brow and entered the room warily, eyes darting around in case this was some kind of elaborate prank. Since when was Goku ever glad to see him? A subtle check showed there was no pie waiting to be thrown in his face, no bucket of water perched in the door way... nothing odd at all except Goku's beaming face.

"Uh... yeah. Okay," he said slowly. He plopped the case of beer he'd purchased on the table along with a six pack of canned root beer for Goku, who dove on it eagerly. He looked over at the bed where Sanzo was sitting, staring out the window with eyes so narrow they almost looked closed. If it weren't for the briefest flare of violet, he would have sworn they were. "Yo, monk! Wanna beer?"

"Hm? Yeah, sure."

Blinking at the bland and almost civil tone, Gojyo tossed a bottle to Sanzo, who caught it and used the bed frame as an impromptu cap opened. Gojyo took the more conventional method of using his belt buckle. Without another word, Sanzo swigged back his beer and returned to staring out the window at the dim lights far below their current night's residency. Arching a brow and shaking his head at the moody bastard, he took a seat at the table next to Goku, who was quickly pulling out the beaten deck of cards Gojyo had given to him so he could practice shuffling.

"So, whaddya wanna play?" Goku asked eagerly. "Wanna play rummy? Or war? Or how 'bout Hi-Lo?"

"Whatever you want," Gojyo answered, bewildered beyond imagining over the mood swings in this room. Sanzo sulking without a dark cloud in the sky and Goku acting as if his presence was the best thing invented since national holidays. Weird didn't even come close to covering it.

A sharp nudge under the table got his attention on the smaller boy sitting next to him. Goku jerked his head to indicate he needed Gojyo to move in closer, which the red head obligingly did, putting his ear toward the other's mouth to hear what was so damned secretive. "He's been like that since we got here. I thought I was gonna go crazy bein' bored," Goku hissed.

"What's his deal anyway?" Gojyo whispered back.

Goku's answer was a shrug before he bit his lower lip and focused on trying to shuffle the cards. "Why do you an' Hakkai always make this look so easy?" he muttered.

"Because it is. You being a monkey kinda hinders the process. Gimme those! I don't wanna sit here all night while you shuffle." Goku handed the cards over with only a token pout. Gojyo cut the deck neatly and let the sound of wax-coated paper slapping against each other fill his ears and senses. There was just something so incredibly relieving about cards in general. It was intangible, but it never failed to get the adrenaline pumping just a bit. Maybe it was just that gambling really turned him on in a way no amount of female company ever could. "Gonna sit there and pout or are you gonna join us, Sanzo?" Gojyo taunted.

"Pass," came the brief response. Sanzo ignored or didn't hear Goku hissing at Gojyo to shut up and leave the monk alone.

Gojyo grinned and winked at Goku, nearly chuckling as the boy's head thunked to the table in defeat. There was only one way he could think of to get Sanzo to do anything he didn't want to do, and seeing as the monkey was soooo eager to play with his beloved keeper... Well, Gojyo was just devil enough to do it! "Why, still pissing all over yourself the last time I kicked your ass at cards?"

"Gooojyooo," Goku groaned miserably.

The monk, however, made no response whatsoever.

Well... if THAT wasn't disappointing, he didn't know what was! Just what the hell was going on around here anyway? Him alone for the evening, Hakkai on a date, Goku over joyed for his company and Sanzo not biting some perfectly good bait? What the FUCK! Sighing, Gojyo began dealing the cards for three anyway. "Always knew you didn't have the balls to come back after getting your ass tanned," he continued to taunt, knowing he was flirting with a Smith and Wesson now. Normally, he didn't do guys, but if it got that pouty priest off his ass he'd be willing to swing briefly. "That's okay, keep licking yourself. Your money's gonna be all the more sweeter knowing you weren't man enough to try and take it back."

Goku yelped and jerked away from the table so fast he fell over with his seat at the sound of springs creaking. Unfortunately, the kid's groaning was for nothing. Sanzo was just getting more comfortable on the bed. Frowning, Gojyo left the cards sitting in the third person's spot and motioned for Goku to scrape himself off the floor to get his hand going. "It's BS we're playing, Goku. Betting starts at five cents and goes up each turn. I could use a little more temple money in my pocket. Do you wanna pay in advance, Sanzo, or try holding on to it?"

"Leave him alone, Gojyo!" Goku demanded as he began organizing his full hand. "Besides, we can't play BS without a full deck."

"We're not playing short. Sanzo's got his hand over there. Of course, seeing as he's not sitting at the table, I certainly don't mind playing his cards for him..."

That finally did it. Sanzo dragged himself up and practically threw himself into the chair as he pulled out his glasses and picked up his cards. "Like hell you'll play for me. I'll sleep easier knowing you won't have any cash to go whoring around with."

"Ooo... prickly tonight, aren't we? I'm starting with two aces." Gojyo placed his cards face down on the table, eyes deadlocked with the stormy violet ones across from him.

"Um... three twos," Goku declared proudly as he set his cards on the table face down on top of Gojyo's. The kid wasn't bluffing either, if the swinging legs were any indication.

"One three. Where's Hakkai?"

Gojyo cringed as the question he'd been dreading finally came up. "Hakkai's... out. Three fours."

"Out? Out doin' what? It's too late to be shoppin'. Two fives."

"BS," Gojyo declared instantly. Goku had a habit of organizing his cards in numerical order. Fives would have been toward the left. The kid pulled from the far right hand side, which meant he didn't have a five in the group.

"Aw, damn it!" Goku scooped all the cards up off the table and began fitting them into his enormous card fan. "Anyway, so where'd he go?"

"He went... on a date."

The surprised looks followed by Goku's howl of laughter was to be expected. It still didn't mean he liked it, he decided as he ground his teeth together and sucked up the embarrassment. "Hakkai... has a date an' you... stupid... you're stayin'... in? AHAHAHAHA!"

"Can it, runt! For your information, I could have had a date to _if_ I felt like it. I didn't."

"Yeah, right! I bet all th' girls took one look at your ugly face an' went runnin' for the hills!"

Goku's laughter was cut off in a startled yelp as Gojyo headlocked him and gave him the Noogie from Hell right on the top of his head. "Speaking of ugly faces, let's rearrange yours a bit," he growled before releasing the breathless, red-faced boy and shooting Sanzo a glare that dared him to say something smart.

"Two sixes."

Huh... nothing. He was beginning to get very bored and very disappointed with this restrained version of Sanzo. Something really deep had to be going on here. This was the closest to Rainy Day Mood he'd ever seen the monk without it actually raining out. Gojyo looked through his cards briefly. He had sevens this turn around and not a single damn seven in his hand. At most, he could safely lay down one card and hope to the gods he didn't get caught. If his luck were at its best (which, considering the lack of female companionship for the evening, proved that it wasn't) he could hope that the sevens were split between his two opponents. However, if he layed down anything more than one card and was caught... Gojyo plucked the single jack in his hand and placed int face down on the table. "One seven."

Thankfully, his luck wasn't utter shit. Neither of them called him on the almost obvious lie. "Four eights," Goku said proudly as he put them on the table top. With as many cards as he had in his hand, it wasn't a safe thing to call BS on him.

"Three nines."

Damn it! Sanzo was playing on autopilot tonight. Gojyo shook his head and made a scoffing noise as he discarded his tens. "Three tens."

"BS!" Goku was quick to shout.

He flipped the cards over and had a moment to relish Goku's annoyed groan as the boy once again gathered all the cards to him. "Never call bullshit on the BS king," he replied triumphantly.

"Hey, how'd this jack get in- GOJYO! You BS'd on the seven!" Goku had just noticed the jack that had snuck its way into the pile.

"No, shit! You can't call BS after the fact, kid, so suck it up and take those cards!" He grinned and snickered to himself as Goku, still mumbling about how unfair that was, finished sorting his cards and sat back with a huff. Gojyo lit a cigarette and waited for Sanzo to make his move. He scanned over the cards in his hand and almost laughed again when he saw he had his lucky card. The queen of hearts, the most wonderful lady in the entire deck as far as he was concerned. If only he had that same card in flesh and blood form...

And just like that, it hit him square between the eyes what was bothering Sanzo. He'd almost forgotten about that little arguement the blonde had with Hakkai about four days ago. Sanzo had casually mentioned the route they were currently taking and Hakkai had been super quick in telling him there was no way short of divine intervention that they would be going to the big city... what was it called again? Not that it really mattered. What was important was that Sanzo didn't let it drop. Normally whenever Hakkai said no even Sanzo didn't protest with more than a scowl or a muttered curse. It was the fact that he kept nagging on it that was so strange.

Gojyo was a betting man. If it were on the table right now that the only reason Sanzo wanted to go to that city where the creepy-assed bishop and his loyal cocksucker were going to be was because of a woman, he'd bet everything he had and then some. Guys did stupid shit for women. It was just in their nature, and he himself was just as guilty as the next guy. Risking Hakkai's temper and tolerating stalker boys definately fell in the category of stupid shit. Gojyo shook his head and felt his lips twist into a smug smirk. Damn... he never would have thought he'd see this.

Genjyo Sanzo, ice prick extraordinaire, had it bad for a certain apothecary. What made this all the more hilarious was the fact that she very obviously had him wrapped completely around her, and he wasn't aware of it. The most highly ranked monk in all of Shangri-La was pussy whipped. Gods, he could barely think it without laughing out loud. Gojyo swallowed back the laughter along with some beer as he quickly bit his lips to keep the smile in check.

"What's so funny, water sprite?" Goku demanded with a frown as he glanced up from his enormous collection of cards.

"Nothing you could possibly understand, chimp," he replied, his words tinged over with the snicker that was getting ready to burst free. All he could see now was Yaone running off a list of orders to Sanzo, and Sanzo going 'yes, dear' to every insane request. His sides were beginning to ache from the pressure of keeping it all in. "So, are you gonna go or just waste time, Sanzo?" he asked before a snort broke from him and his head thunked to the table. Shit, it was too late now.

"I'm waiting for you to pull your ass together," Sanzo muttered darkly.

"Yes, dear," Gojyo gasped before a burst of laughter overtook him. He couldn't help it, he really couldn't! Tears ran down his cheeks as he folded his hand onto the table top in favor of hugging his throbbing sides. Gods, it hurt! Why did laughing have to hurt so bad? He couldn't stop though, even when his head began to go a little light from the lack of oxygen. Sanzo in a pink frilly apron... pushing a broom... no, wait... rocking a cradle! That was the best image yet!

"What the hell? Are ya drunk already? Geeze, Gojyo, you only had half a beer! C'mon, already!" He could only make inarticulate noises to Goku's obvious annoyance.

"One jack, and you have five seconds to get your ass off the floor or you forfeit," Sanzo growled angrily.

With some effort, Gojyo managed to pull himself back upright but couldn't do much to stop the continuing snickers or the occassional hiccups that followed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm done. Just something funny about all this. Don't get so excited, monk." It was more than not getting his rocks off that had the blonde so irritable and spaced out. It was obvious from talking to Hakkai that the relationship between those two wasn't the most steady. Maybe Sanzo was more pissed off over how Yaone would take it if he didn't show up? If there was one thing he knew from experience it was that no woman, no matter how closely intimate the guy is with her, likes to be stood up. Well, there was only one way to find out if his hunch was right. He had to ask, but he had to do it in a way that wouldn't get him shot. Gojyo's eyes drifted down to the card he was holding loosely between his thumb and first finger, and a smile began to form as an idea of how to do it took shape.

"My favorite card," he managed to get out as he placed it face up on the table. His grin flashed wicked as the two sitting at the table gave him baffled looks as to why he placed it face up instead of face down like he was supposed to. "The lovely queen of hearts."

"It's supposed to go face down, you moron," Sanzo bit out as a suspicious look began to creep through his eyes.

Gojyo caught that glare and allowed his smile to radiate his smug knowledge. Sanzo had no clue that he already knew about his little love affair. He'd been a good little boy and kept his mouth fairly shut... but seeing as Hakkai wasn't here to stop him, wasn't it about time the cat was out of the bag anyway? "If you're smart, Sanzo, you'd never let this lady turn her back on you, even if she's angry. Otherwise..." He flipped his next card over. The king of hearts, also known as the Suicide King because of the knife running through his head. "She's a patient woman, but that patience has a limit. And you know what they say about a woman scorned and all that."

"Huh? I don't get it! Gimme that beer, Gojyo, you're not makin' any sense at all!" Goku grabbed his nearly empty beer can and threw it into the garbage can.

It didn't matter if Goku got the metaphor or not. Gojyo felt his own eyes narrow mischievously as understanding flowed swiftly across Sanzo's face before it was carefully hidden under a cool, arrogant mask. "You don't think he put the knife there on his own, do you? He either did it himself or she did it for him. Either way, this poor bastard's got a headache," Gojyo continued to taunt. Next to an outright challenge, Sanzo responded pretty well to word games. If he wanted an answer, metaphors were the way to go. The monk wanted to talk to someone about it, but there wasn't anyone he could really go to in their group who had the experience... except for Gojyo. Both of them knew there was no way they'd sit down together and have an honest heart-to-heart over a pint at the bar. This was about as close as they would ever come to it, which was fine with him. Sanzo being friendly usually meant he was out of cigarettes and wanted to bum one.

"Maybe it was another king that did it," Sanzo replied, easily slipping into the chosen metaphor for this conversation as he tossed down the king of spades. A pleased quirk of brow came to the red head's face as he realized his instincts had, once again, been dead on.

"Hey, that's not how we play BS! It's no fair that you guys get to break th' rules," Goku shouted, but his complaints fell on deaf ears. This was an A and B conversation for the moment, and both participants were locked in it. Gojyo stared at the card thoughtfully for a couple seconds as he processed this new information.

So THAT'S what had his boxers riding up his tight ass. Sanzo suspected Yaone of seeing someone else. Gojyo didn't know her very well, aside from the fact that she was beyond hot and had that girl-next-door personality. What he did know was that she was the loyal sort, the type of girl that was with a guy through thick and thin. Cheating would be the last thing her type would ever do. It was obvious from the way she risked herself for Kougaiji all the damn time... hey, wait a second... Of course, that could be the problem. Hadn't Sanzo said it could have been another 'king' that stabbed the king of hearts? Following that line of thought, a king was royalty or someone of high rank. Next to Sanzo himself, the only other person they knew with any type of ranking would be Prince Kougaiji. It made further sense considering that the king of spades was directly opposite in color to the queen's mate. That had to be the problem here, for sure. Sanzo didn't like to share much anyway, so it would make sense that the bitchy monk would be jealous over 'his' girl being loyal to another guy.

Gojyo chuckled and shook his hair out as he took a languid hit, releasing the smoke slowly into the air. What a fucking mess! Trust the monk not to do love the easy way either. "I doubt the king of hearts would let another guy get a bead on him so easy. But, I also think he needs to remember that's _his_ queen there, not anyone elses. No matter how much the other kings flatter her, she's a one man kinda girl. You can't take the queen of hearts, stick her with the king of spades and have a complete set. Doesn't roll like that."

Sanzo snorted and grabbed his cigarettes roughly off the table. Goku was looking from one to the other, so lost that any hope of him picking up the thread was near impossible. Gojyo waited for Sanzo to process that little tidbit while sucking down nicotine. He could almost see the hamster getting ready to pass out from exhaustion inside that blonde head of his. Romance in general was not something the monk was naturally familiar with. A relationship was alien to the point of being almost unbelievable. Combine that with the fact that Sanzo wasn't a naturally trusting person... Yeah, it was easy to see how messy this thing was getting.

"Solitaire," Sanzo muttered.

"Eh?" Gojyo asked back, trying to figure how that particular game figured into everything. Solitaire? What the hell?

"Solitaire is played black on red. That's the way it works."

Oh, so _that's_ what he was getting at! The damned stubborn bastard. He was implying that it was natural for Yaone to want Kougaiji. He shook his head again, this time out of frustration. It was as if he were _trying_ to find a reason for this not to work. Just what the hell was so wrong with grabbing whatever bit of happiness fate provided on this gods-forsaken mission? He refused to believe anyone wanted to be miserable and alone their entire life, and that included the very bound-by-nothing holy asshole sitting across from him.

Gojyo sighed slowly, staring down at the forgotten cards on the table top. Monks were a real piece of work in the head! "Until you get the aces lined up, man. Then it's all the same colors and suites," he corrected. "Even in solitaire, she finds a way to get back to him." He buried the king of spades under the king of hearts to prove his point.

"What if the aces aren't lined up yet?"

"Then it's too early to be organizing your suites. But the point of solitaire isn't to organize the cards black on red. Your supposed to _work_ to get those aces in a line. If the game came with them already set up and waiting, what's the point of playing? Not as rewarding when half the job is done for you."

Sanzo remained silent for a long time, staring at the two cards on the table with a glare that threatened to set the worn cards on fire. The electric heater turning on made Goku jump in his chair, golden eyes wide and a touch worried as he watched Sanzo slowly reach out and pick up the queen sitting face up on the table. "So, card expert, what would your next move be?" he asked quietly.

Gojyo's lips curled into a triumphant smirk as the monk finally asked the question he'd been wanting to from the start of this conversation. "If this were my game... I'd forget about any other king. Fuck 'em completely. They don't matter in the end anyway. Also, the king of hearts is the one with his hand around the knife." He tapped the card again for emphasis. "So, I'd say the only way this game could get screwed up is if he did something stupid, like pile himself under a shitload of useless cards. Those are the only two things keeping this game in the mess it's in."

"Hmph. Pretty good advice for a perverted gambler."

"Cards, booze and women are my three areas of specialty," he boasted on a drawl.

Goku's snort made both gazes cut over to the kid. Gold eyes were now narrowed and glinting mischievously at the red head. "If those're the areas you're good in, why are you sittin' in the hotel by yourself while Hakkai has a date?" the boy demanded with a smirk.

Gojyo blinked and then shot a glare at Sanzo when he noticed thin shoulders covered in black leather shaking with laughter. His glare returned to the one who made the crack briefly... and then he was diving toward the kid, intent on outdoing the noogie he'd given him before. "Huh? What'd you say, you tiny, stupid little chimp?" he shouted as he slammed the smaller body into the floor and wrestled wirey arms into a locking pin hold against his back.

Goku continued to jerk and fight, straining to throw the taller man off his back. Gojyo wasn't having any of it. He wouldn't allow his ego to get bruised by a kid who had yet to even kiss a girl! "OW! Gojyo, that hurts! Grr... LEMME GO!"

"Not until you get it through your thick monkey head that I don't have a date because I CHOSE not to have one!"

"Like hell! You don't have one because- OWOWOW!"

"Taking up singing now, brat? C'mon, let's here you go a little higher!"

**_BANG! BANG!_**

That was all it took to send both combatants to opposite sides of the room. Sanzo was standing now, and looking as murderous as ever. "SHUT IT NOW! You, get ready for bed! You, get your nasty ass out of my room!" Two more shots were fired, encouraging them to do exactly as he ordered. Now that the gun was out, Gojyo was more than happy to leave that ungrateful prick alone. Talk about gratitude for some perfectly good advice. He slammed the door after himself as loud as he could and fixed his shirt back in place from where it had twisted during the mini scuffle. That was the _last_ time he ever helped Sanzo out!

"Hope Goku's snoring keeps you up all night," Gojyo shouted through the door before sprinting down the other end of the hall as it was jerked roughly open. He just made it around the end of the stairs in time to avoid the bullets that sank into the wooden wall right where he had been standing. Shit, maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to give Sanzo advice on his relationship. Now that he wasn't being all sulky and miserable, he was back to being his old trigger happy sadist with homicidal tendencies.

----------

Hakkai squinted a little to try and better focus his vision as he and Ming-Hu walked back to the inn. He'd been surprised by the evening. Pleasantly so, actually. A little bit of him had been afraid that Ming-Hu might be a bit more... aggressive, due to the fact that she struck him immediately as a very confident person. His fears had been slowly put to rest over the nice dinner and the walk back to the inn, which is where they both were staying. Ming-Hu, for all her self-confidence, behaved like a perfect lady. She had a wonderfully quick tongue to her, and was surprisingly well informed on outside current events. Surprisingly considering the almost backwoods locale she lived in. They'd discussed everything from books to politics with a few off topics thrown in between.

They walked into the inn, which was completely dark except for a few safety lights running dow the hall and up the stairs. He couldn't see very clearly, but the clock on the wall looked like it read ten at night. Amazing how slowly time passed when having fun! Ming-Hu smiled as she motioned for him to follow her into the pitch black bar. "Do you want to have another drink before saying good night?" she asked.

"I certainly won't say no to that," Hakkai agreed, waiting until she flicked on the lights before following her. Once again, he silently promised himself painful revenge on Gojyo for taking his monocle. What was the point of one being dressed for dinner with a lady if one couldn't properly see the lady to begin with? It wasn't that he was completely blind. He just had trouble adjusting his vision when one half was blurred.

Ming-Hu laughed lightly as she ducked under the bar and surfaced with two porcelain cups and a bottle of sake. "I apologize that it's not properly warmed," she said as she poured them both a round.

"Oh, that's alright! Sake is good either way."

Smiling, she clinked their cups together before sipping hers slowly. Her eyes closed and a soft hum of approval came from her throat. Hakkai tasted his and wasn't disappointed. It was one of the finer grades in sake, mellow going down with that sharp kick afterward that warmed the throat and tongue. Perfect. "Thank you. This is marvelous."

"As one of the areas leading nature resorts, we _only_ carry the best," she mockingly boasted, flashing him a smile to go along with the joke. "Of course, that does beg the question of why you four are here. Forgive me, but none of you seem the outdoors type."

"Forgive _me_, but you don't seem the type either."

"True," she replied, shrugging to give him the point. "That's why I can legitimately claim that I only work here. This place pays very good money. It's open all year round, so there's never any risk of losing my job. But now you're being evasive."

Hakkai chuckled and took another sip of sake. "Perhaps, but it was completely unintentional. My apologies. My friends and I are actually heading west on a road trip. Of sorts."

"On a road trip of sorts?" Ming-Hu's smile clearly said she didn't believe the half-lie but that she was willing to play along with it. Hakkai was grateful for that. The further west they went, the more paranoid the people were of youkai. If she knew they were actually trying to _save_ the youkai by ending the Minus Wave... Well, being kicked out of town would be the least of their worries. "Well, just be careful in the next few towns, Hakkai. This is the last civilized place this side of the mountain range, and it'll take you at least five days to get over it. The townies in the next few places are... odd."

"Odd? How so?"

Ming-Hu shifted a little uncomfortably, her well manicured nails tracing around the rim of her cup. "It's hard to say what exactly is off about them. They're not particularly uncouth or rustic in nature. They're just... there's something not exactly normal to them. You'll understand why when you get there. It'll be that way until you exit the valley land just at the base of the mountain."

Hakkai frowned at her unease. Clearly, whatever was going on didn't sit well with her at all. Acting more out of instinct than anything else, he reached out and covered one of her hands with his own, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Thanks for the warning. We'll be sure to be careful."

She blinked before the faintest edge of a blush stole across her pale cheeks. Giving him a faint trace of a smile, she turned her hand over so their palms were touching. Hakkai felt his back tense a bit and hoped it didn't translate noticeably through his body entirely. The last time he'd held hands like this... Unfortunately, Ming-Hu was exceptionally observant and noticed the slight change to his posture. "It's okay, Hakkai. All I wanted was dinner with a nice man, even if that man was already taken. I just wanted some pleasant company and conversation."

"I'm sorry?" he asked, surprised his voice could work around the knot in his throat. How did she know about Kanan? How could she _possibly_ know about that? He hadn't breathed a word to her at all about Kanan.

Ming-Hu brought her free hand to his face, tracing her nails lightly down his cheek and then back up along the eyebrow over his weaker eye. "It shows here," she explained softly. "You have the look of someone who's loved so deeply it nearly killed him. Whoever she is, she still holds a piece of you in her hands."

Hakkai remained silently stunned by the accuracy of her words. A brief thought that maybe she was a youkai in disguise crossed his mind, only to be quickly discarded by her next words as they hit home almost painfully.

"And until you can reclaim that piece for yourself, there's no woman in the world who stands a chance."

"I...I don't..." Hakkai struggled to find what exactly it was he wanted to say to that. How could one respond politely to that? This wasn't how he expected the evening to go, not by a long shot.

Ming-Hu surprised him again by leaning over and kissing his cheek before stepping back with an understanding smile. She purposely put a little distance between them, her hands folded in front of her neatly. "Taking that piece back doesn't mean you're going to forget her. It simply means you're ready to try for that same happiness again. And, if she loves you as much as you obviously do her, then she's simply waiting for you to take that piece back. It's all up to you now, whether _you're_ ready to be happy again or not."

All Hakkai could do was watch her as she ducked under the counter again, rubbed his shoulder in friendly support and walked off toward the back of the inn where her room was. He didn't register the sake he tipped back and gulped down, nor the fact that he took the remaining bottle with him on his way up the stairs. What an utterly strange way to end the evening! He felt like he should be mad at Ming-Hu for her words, or perhaps even bit like he did in the rain. Thoughts of Kanan were automatically associated with terrible pain and consuming despair.

So why did Ming-Hu's words make him feel so... light? Light as if a weight was slowly being removed from his shoulders. It was foolish to be angry with her for speaking on a subject she didn't know was so personally damaging to him, but still... She spoke with some merit. He wasn't so blind to simple logic as all that. Kanan wouldn't want him to be like this. He could almost see her face now, her eyes lowering as she turned slightly away from him. She would be upset to see him in this condition. Kanan wasn't a selfish woman, not in the least. His earlier thoughts of her not letting him go were so wrong it made him nearly sick. How could he have ever found the nerve to accuse her of that! The part that she still held wasn't because _she_ wouldn't let go. She was holding it because he didn't _want_ her to. All of this... was his doing.

And, since this was the hole he'd created for himself, he'd have to find a way back out again. Hakkai smiled sadly, leaning against the wall outside his room in order to finish off the sake alone. Ming-Hu was right. She was right about everything... except for her theory that the notion of leadership in society was created souly by people of greed and pride. Everything else though was spot on precise. Sighing and quickly finishing off the remainder of the sake, Hakkai slipped into the room, letting out a hushed, "Ow!" as he blindly ran into the chair directly next to the door.

"Nn... 'Kai, that you?"

"Gojyo?" he whispered back, surprised to hear the red head in the room at all. "What are you doing here?"

"Dude... I'm sleepin'! Whaddya think I'm doin'?" Gojyo muttered grumpily.

"Yes, but... alone?"

A pillow whipped out of the darkness and struck Hakkai squarely in the face. "Shut up! I got enough of that shit outta the priest and his altered boy."

"You mean alter boy, which Goku is most certainly not."

"No, I mean altered. That little brat's grown some pretty big balls over the last year."

Hakkai couldn't help but chuckle at Gojyo's comment. He kept one hand pressed to the wall as he felt his way through the blackness toward the bathroom door. His fingers found the light switch and made the devious little twist to his lips fully visible as he flicked it on, spilling light cruelly across the bed.

"GRRAAAH! I so wish I could hate you right now!" Gojyo snarled as he pulled the blankets up over his head.

"Oh, sorry. Is it too bright?" Hakkai asked sweetly before chucking the pillow at the finger sticking up at him. He shut the door on the room and began getting ready for bed. He was still amazed to be back by ten. That mean a good bit of sleep before driving away in the morning. As he brushed his teeth, he stared at his reflection as best he could, trying to see what it was Ming-Hu had seen. His reflection stared back, looking just the same as it always had. Maybe it was just that he was so used to seeing his own face? Possibly. He sighed as he finished up and decided to be kind to Gojyo by not turning on the room lights to find his pajamas. He could sleep for one night in jeans, even if they were a bit snug through the bottom.

He turned the bathroom light out before entering the darkened room, feeling his way once again along the wall and through the dots that danced through his eyes after so recently being exposed to light. Finally, he found the edge of the enormous bed and crawled under the covers, sleeping with his back to where Gojyo was sprawled out. The complete silence didn't last very long before Gojyo's voice called Hakkai grudgingly back from the edge of sleep.

"So, how was it?"

"Can we discuss it in the morning?"

"Couldn't have been bad. You were gone for-friggin-ever."

Hakkai blinked and finally rolled over on his back to stare into crimson eyes he knew were fully open. "I wasn't out _that_ late, Gojyo."

Gojyo fumbled around blindly on the bed side table next to him before dropping the electric alarm clock on the pillow by his head. Glowing red numbers read...

"Two in the morning!" The red head chuckled sleepily at his startled outburst. He had stayed out until the early hours of the morning? The wake up was set for six. How was he expected to function on four hours of sleep?

"Welcome to the life of two A.M.," Gojyo teased. "How's it feel to finally let go and live a little?" He replaced the clock where it was supposed to go and flipped to his side, watching Hakkai through the fall of his hair.

Hakkai blinked... and then smiled at his friend. "It wasn't too bad, I suppose," he answered honestly.

Gojyo's grin was a slash of white in the darkness that was just starting to pale with the rising of the sun. "You're welcome," he said in a sing-song voice before turning his back once again on his friend.

For a long time after Gojyo's breathing had slowed to a regular, relaxed rhythm, Hakkai lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. He probably should have thanked the other man for everything he'd done. If it hadn't been for Gojyo's firmness and friendship he probably wouldn't have reached the startling conclusion that he was, in fact, his own worst enemy.

Of course... Gojyo was also the one who stole his monocle. Perhaps it was fair then to withhold his thanks as payment for that bit of rudeness. Satisfied with that reasoning, Hakkai finally relaxed and let himself fall asleep for the few hours remaining until Sanzo woke them up.

----------

"And then I was like this-" Lirin demonstrated the flurry of punches again. "And you were like, 'Oooh... Lirin, I've gotta forfeit'! An' then I was like-"

The princess squeaked as Dokugakuji hauled her off her feet, dangling her just far enough away that her wildly swinging legs didn't do damage to his, uh... sensitive areas. "Sorry, _what_ was I like again when I layed you out flat on your back, squirt?" he questioned with a laugh.

"I was just about to get back up when big brother came in an' kicked us out," Lirin retorted. "Why's he been so mad for the last four days? Is it cuz Yaone's gone again?"

Dokugakuji sighed as he dropped the squirming girl to her feet again. This time, thankfully, the prince wasn't mad about that. He'd belived the lie Dokugakuji had told about the healer going to find an apprentice, just as their lord had commanded. It made him cringe inside to know he'd openly lied to Kou like that, but he was a firm believer that sometimes the truth wasn't always necessary. This was definately one of those times. "Naw, he's mad because he just finished talking with your mother, that's all. The report wasn't a very good one," he answered. And that _was_ the truth. Gyokumen Koushu, the bitch, had called Kougaiji into the throne room early that morning. Her screaming had been heard two floors down and through every hall way on the same floor as the throne room. Two hours later, Kougaiji emerged radiating rage and had demanded to be alone in the training facilities. No one knew for sure what was going on, but there was a lot of smoke flying through the high, opened windows.

That had been almost an hour and a half ago. Dokugakuji had taken a very worried Lirin down into the forest to continue their sparring, knowing that the physical activity would get her mind off her furious brother for a bit. They were just returning to the castle now, completely dirty and both of them sporting a couple bruises as well as growling stomachs. The plan was to get cleaned up and then sneak into the kitchens for some food.

Lirin frowned, reaching for his hand as she gave him a confused face and uncertain nibble to her lower lip. "Hey... can I ask you somethin', Doku?" she asked.

"Sure thing," he replied instantly, ruffling her hair in hopes of getting that sullen expression off her face. Lirin sad was not something he liked to see.

"I know she's my mom an' all, but... is it okay if I hate her for makin' Kougaiji mad?"

Dokugakuji blinked, his pace stuttering briefly as she turned wide, green eyes up to him. Shit... how the hell was he supposed to answer that? Lirin had no memory of the fact that it was her very own mother who had handed her over to the scientists. All she knew was that she was in the lab and that they had come to rescue her. Kougaiji always tried to be careful about bad mouthing Gyokumen Koushu in front of her daughter, but apparently they weren't all being careful enough. Despite everything that whore had done, Kou still insisted that Lirin maintain some shred of respect for the woman who gave birth to her.

Clearing his throat, Dokugakuji squeezed the hand in his and forced what he hoped was a fairly convincing smile. "You sure you hate her, though? Hate's a pretty strong word, y'know."

"Yeah, I know. But... I'm not just mad at her. I wanna scream at her an' tell her Kougaiji's tryin' so, so hard to get that sutra! Sometimes, I just wanna walk right up to her an' mess her hair up for what she says to him!"

"And just how do _you_ know what she says?" he demanded.

Lirin actually blushed and looked away before answering. Normally, she wasn't the least bit embarrassed. "I was crawlin' around in the ventin' shafts," she said softly. "I was tryin' to hide from Yaone cuz she wanted me to do some stupid school work. An' that's when I heard it. My... mom... She kept tellin' big brother how he was beyond useless an' if it weren't for the fact he was dad's son, she'd have him locked in the dungeons. I was so... angry at her! An' I kept hopin' that Kougaiji would say somethin', tell her how hard he tries but... he didn't. He just stood there an' was quiet. Why's he take that from her, Doku? I don't get it!"

Dokugakuji sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He was soooo not cut out for this. He wished to the gods Yaone was here for this talk. She'd know how to answer those pleading, hurt green eyes. Unfortunately, she wasn't. He was the only one the kid had at the moment, so he'd have to do the best he could.

"Sometimes," he said slowly as he thought about how to phrase it for her to understand. "Being grown up means you know when to say something and when to stay quiet. It's not that Kou didn't _want_ to say something to her. It's the fact that it wasn't the right _time_ to. Trust me, Kougaiji knows how hard he works, how hard _all_ of us work. That's all that really matters. And it's okay to not like how your mother talks to him. She doesn't see him the way you do, so it's okay. Just... You shouldn't hate her. She's the only mother you have, and no matter what she does you shouldn't hate her. Hate's not a word you can just throw around, y'know what I'm saying? Once you say it, you've gotta mean it completely or you're gonna regret it."

"I guess so," Lirin mumbled. "Kinda like how you can't do take-backs in checkers?"

He chuckled at the analogy and gave her a quick hug as they walked. "Yeah, exactly like that. No take-backs once you say you hate someone."

"Can I say she really pisses me off when she does that?"

"Sure, that's fine."

"Okay then. It really, REALLY pisses me off when she talks to Kougaiji like he's nothin'," she amended proudly, flashing a grin up at him.

Dokugakuji ruffled her hair again while breathing an internal sigh of relief. Gods, he hoped he hadn't botched that conversation six ways to hell! He knew Kou wouldn't want to ever hear Lirin say she hated Gyokumen Koushu, even if the bitch _was_ the one to sell her daughter to the scientists. There was enough hatred for that woman in Kougaiji's heart for the both of them, Lirin didn't need to add hers to it. He was about to suggest they race to the kitchens when he noticed a figure rounding the corner of the hall they were in.

"Yaone?"

Yaone looked up from where she'd been carefully staring at the floor, and the look on her face was enough for him. Red, puffy eyes that were still watering a little, arms huggin her stomach as if mortally wounded... That son of a bitch monk had just hurt her! He hurried down the hall and caught her just before she fell to her knees on the floor. Dokugakuji held her close, petting her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder, her entire back quaking with the harsh movements. Her fingers curled sharply into his jacket sleeves, sniffles the only thing breaking up the flood of tears. Lirin stood near by, dancing from one foot to the other as she glanced from Yaone to Dokugakuji and back again, obviously wondering what was wrong and what she could do to help.

"Lirin... you think you can handle getting some tea for Yaone?" he asked as he continued to hold the nearly hysterical woman in his arms.

Wide eyed and still confused, Lirin nodded and raced down the hall without further question or complaint. Dokugakuji waited until she was gone before he managed to lift himself and Yaone to their feet, arms instantly supporting her when she almost fell again. "Hey... take it easy, Yaone! I've got you."

"H-He didn't... H-H-He doesn't..."

He shushed her while rubbing her back and trying to supress the curl of seething anger from unfurling quite yet. It was obvious what she was trying to say through the tears. Sanzo didn't love her. That was a HUGE mistake on the monks part. He'd known Sanzo was a heartless bastard, but damn it! Yaone was family to him, like a sister, and he'd be damned if he let some arrogant, cold hearted asshole do this to her. No man was allowed to treat this woman like she was a common whore. Yaone didn't do shit to earn this type of treatment.

Dokugakuji remained silent as he helped Yaone stumble to her room, sitting down on the bed with her while she continued to cry like she was close to dying. For all he knew, she could be. Yaone obviously cared more for Sanzo than he'd originally thought... and this was how the prick returned that affection! Outside, he remained calm and soothing, telling yet another lie when he said it was going to be okay. Inside he was repeating the promise he'd made to her from the very beginning; the man that made her cry better hope the gods had mercy on him, because Dokugakuji sure as hell wouldn't. This was personal now. Sanzo just fucked with family, and he wasn't going to tolerate that!

----------

LAST AUTHOR'S BLURB BEFORE SHE DIES: Umm... in case there's any confusion, there was a four day time jump between when Hakkai and Gojyo were talking and when Yaone comes back to Houtu Castle. Just to save on any confusion. Good bye now.


	41. Chapter 41

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the loooong break in updates! First, there was vacation. Check out my deviant art journal for details, if you're so inclined. Then, there was a nasty bout with bronchitis/pneumonia. I was incredibly sick and on a shit load of meds to get over it. Then, FF net decided to go into one of its downloading error fits, which of course happened JUST as I was ready to post this chapter. GAAAAAH!

A quick word in regards to this chapter and the next few to follow: As many who have heard the ranting (and experienced the insane amount of screaming and cussing) in regards to the butchering of the Reload and Gunlock animes may know, I have refused to purchase ANY of the dvds for the express purpose of not dishing out my money for some half-assed, piss poor rip off one of my favorite series. Having said all that... the Gunlock writers have actually done something that works perfectly for this story. Thank you for that small favor. The next few chapters will be based off of episodes seventeen and eighteen of the anime, as they presented a scenario I really couldn't refuse. The problem with this is that I've only seen the episodes once, and it was a subbed version on YouTube. I have NOT purchased the necessary dvds, and have relied very heavily on a wonderful blog entry someone posted up giving a very detailed summary of the episodes. The action will be the same... but the dialogue is going to be my own. I'm sorry if anyone is unhappy with some of the less-than-canon lines, but as previous chapters have demonstrated, I do try to be accurate with such things. Slavishly so, one might say. Anyway, that's all. If you're unhappy, I don't mind if you say so in a review or a note. I totally understand. Thank you!

* * *

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

People mulling around outside the deceptively dilapidated hotel all turned with stunned horror at the very recognizable sounds of gun fire. There was a scurry away from the door as furniture being tipped over came through the closed door, followed by shouts of 'relax, you damned Buddhist prick' and 'you shot my rice balls' intermingled with growls that sounded like they could have been death threats. The door burst open, spilling out two of the four occupants of the fray, who were struggling with each other to be the first to get into the green Jeep parked nearby.

"Sweet fuck, you almost hit me for real that time," Gojyo shouted from the back seat as he fingered the new rip in the shoulder of his jacket. He landed a sharp elbow jab into Goku's side as the boy tried to shove his way behind the taller man for protection from more bullets.

"Be thankful you have quick reflexes, kappa," Sanzo sneered from the door way. He either didn't notice or chose to ignore the fact that the towns folk were gaping at him with slacked jaws and eyes the size of small plates. The looks of disbelief became more so when he tucked the gun back in his robe in favor of pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He lit up and released the greyish smoke from his lungs into the air, violet eyes narrowed westward with what looked almost to be a eager glint. "Hakkai, stop flirting and start driving!"

Hakkai blinked in surprise at the order before a blush burned its way across his face. He shrugged an apology at Ming-Hu, who gave him an understanding smile in return, and sprinted out of the inn to the driver's seat. After getting caught in a late snow storm for the last two days, the passes were finally opened for travel and the monk was more than ready to get going.

"For your information, Sanzo, I wasn't flirting," Hakkai explained while ignoring the kissing sounds coming from the back seat. Let them joke all they wanted. If dinner happened to be late and possibly burned, that wasn't _his_ problem. "I merely told her to charge any damage to the inn to the temple."

"What damage?" the monk demanded as the first rumbles of the engine turning over moved through the open vehicle.

"Broken plates, torn pillows, cigarette burns in the carpet, two shattered chairs and several bullet marks in the walls."

"Goddamn, is that ALL we did?" Gojyo exclaimed from the back. "We took it easy on your girlfriend!" The red head grinned and winked at Goku when the kid snickered from in back.

Hakkai gave them a disapproving frown in the rear view mirror as he shifted into fifth gear and cleared his throat. "Ming-Hu is _not_ my girlfriend, Gojyo. Please don't take your own sexual frustrations out on me, it's uncalled for and rude."

"Sexual frustrations? WHAT sexual frustrations?"

Sanzo snorted from the front seat, one brow arched as a smirk came to his lips. "Well, Hakkai _was_ the one with a date last night, while a certain kappa sat like a good little wife at home," he remarked dryly.

Goku disolved into howls of laughter as the kappa in question spluttered indignantly before flicking the monk off behind his back. "Don't talk to _me_ about sexual frustrations, Buddha! You're the one jonesing to get outta here to see-ACK!"

The fan of doom made its appearance rather early in the drive and did its job of silencing the red head effectively. Satisfied with the twitching, groaning mass on the floor of the Jeep, Sanzo sat back down and tucked the fan back where it came from. "Anymore comments from the peanut gallery?" he questioned.

"Peanuts! We have peanuts?" Goku exclaimed shortly before he started going through the bags in search of the nonexistant food item.

"No, we don't have any peanuts," Hakkai explained on the edge of a laugh. "Sanzo was just making a joke."

"Aww... that was a really crappy joke, Sanzo! Now I can't stop thinkin' about the peanuts we don't have!" The boy huffed from his spot in back, golden eyes glowering at the back of his guardian's head. That was a really low, mean joke to make! Sanzo needed to get a better sense of humor.

"I swear, between the sexually frustrated kappa and the gluttonous monkey, someone up there is really trying to drive me insane," the blonde muttered.

"I am NOT sexually frustrated," Gojyo shouted as he rubbed his head. "Get that through your bottled blonde head right now!"

"Need I remind you again of who stayed in last night?"

"If that's what you're basing it on, you and your pet ape are too!"

"Umm... technically, that's not accurate," Hakkai cut in with a jovial smile. Gojyo shot a glare at him as the green eyed man offered a wickedly pleasant laugh. "In order to be sexually frustrated, one must have already had sex. And as far as I'm aware Goku hasn't, so therefore he can't be sexually frustrated."

"Fuck your logic, Hakkai!" the kappa snarled. He really hated when a perfectly good come back was blasted to bits by Hakkai Reasoning.

"Yeah, besides it's not like I don't _wanna_ have sex! It's just Gojyo's a crappy teacher," Goku added as he surfaced from one of the bags with a pack of dried pineapple rings. They weren't peanuts, but they'd do.

Hakkai screeching on the brakes threw everyone sharply toward the front of the vehicle. Goku, instead of saving himself from possible bruising from the impact, opted to clutch more tightly at his prized snack in a desperate attempt to keep it from falling over the side. Two sets of eyes snapped around to the back seat, one wide with shock at the statement while the other blazed with barely contained outrage. Gojyo felt the sweat start to slip down his skin as deadly violet locked on him with a glare that said he had less than five seconds to explain what the kid meant.

"Relax, Sanzo! A, he's a primate and I don't swing that way. B, he's a guy. He has guy stuff. I don't touch guy stuff," Gojyo said quickly, his voice surprisingly calm and full of a bravado he didn't necessarily feel under that seething glare.

"Then what _exactly_ does he mean by that?" Sanzo demanded icily.

"How the hell should I know? Speaking monkey is your forte, not mine!"

Hakkai, being more daring than anyone else would have, placed a hand on Sanzo's shoulder and offered a soothing smile. "Perhaps we should allow Goku to explain what he meant," he suggested.

Goku sat up straighter when all eyes turned to him his eyes widening in confusion from the sudden scrutiny. "What? What did _I_ do?" he exclaimed. "I thought you were _supposed_ to date a girl before havin' sex with her! All I said was Gojyo sucks at teachin' me how to date."

What almost could have passed as a collective sigh of relief circulated from the Jeep as three sets of shoulders visibly relaxed. Hakkai, letting out a nervous chuckle, shifted into first again and resumed driving at what he termed normal speeds. "See, Sanzo? I told you it wasn't what you thought."

"That makes it twice today you got lucky, kappa. Don't keep pressing it," Sanzo growled as he crossed his arms across his chest and returned to watching the scenery whiz by.

"Yeah, yeah... you know, you should really see about getting the stick in your ass removed. I know a pretty good apothecary who just might-,"

This time when Hakkai slammed on the brakes, it was to throw Sanzo's balance off as the gun came out of nowhere and began to aim for the kappa's head. The shot rang wide through the still mountain air, the bullet taking out a small section of leaves and possibly a bird's nest if the squawking and fluttering of wings were any indications. Sanzo went falling backward, his ass landing hard on the dashboard while his free hand flew out to grasp the seat front to keep him from falling out of the Jeep completely. His glare instantly shifted to the calmly smiling driver responsible for making him miss.

"Goddamn it, Hakkai! Quit protecting his worthless ass and let him take what's coming to him," Sanzo shouted.

"Oh, look! Another penguin," Hakkai joked with a cheerful little laugh. "It's a good thing I didn't hit it, wouldn't you agree, Sanzo?"

Sanzo lowered his arm, his head drooping to his chest as a groan escaped his clenched teeth. "Idiots... why am I surrounded by nothing but idiots?"

"Was there really another penguin, Hakkai, or didja just do that so Gojyo'd shut up about Yaone?" Goku queried innocently from the back.

Ignoring the snarl from the blonde still standing and the slight clenching of his finger on the trigger, Hakkai revved the engine just enough to warn everyone he intended to start driving again very soon. "Goku, how about I let you pick which one you'd believe more, and we'll leave it at that, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. But, see, one penguin on vacation I get. _Two_ though... I mean, why would there be two on vacation together? Are they married or somethin'?"

Sanzo dropped into his seat with one hand covering his eyes while his fingers massaged his temples as if in the throes of an agonizing headache. "Drive, Hakkai. I don't care where you drive us to, just do it."

Laughing as he complied with the desperate request, Hakkai glanced back in the rearview mirror at Goku. "Glad you brought up the subject of penguins, Goku," he commented, pleased with the change in topic. He'd have to chat with Gojyo again about playing with matches near a keg of TNT when he had the chance. Although... Sanzo _was_ in a fairly good mood, all things considered. Maybe something good had happened last night. He'd known from the start it would be too good to be true that the red head would keep his mouth shut for long in regards to Sanzo's interest in Yaone, but dared he to hope that some good had come of it? He'd have to find out later though. Right now.. a lecture on penguins was in order. "Did you know that some penguins actually do get married in a sense?"

"Really? That's kinda neat!" The boy picked his head up off his knees, instantly falling into the student role he was surprisingly good at.

"And here we go... the Discovery Channel's biggest fan is looking to convert the masses," Gojyo drawled with a roll of his eyes before he settled himself in back and tipped his head over the side of the Jeep to let the rushing wind pass through his hair.

"I certainly thought so, too," Hakkai replied with just a mild glare directed at the disinterested red head. "Most penguins only mate for one season, but there are a few breeds that do so for life."

"Wooow... Hey, ya hear that, cockroach? Penguins are better at gettin' dates than you are!"

"Can it, you half pint runt!"

"I'm not a runt, ya dateless watersprite!"

"Didn't your owner teach you lying is bad? I am NOT dateless. I _chose_ to stay in, remember?"

The argument continued on uninterupted as Hakkai began to drive again, casting little glances over at the silent monk. Yes, Sanzo seemed to be in a much better mood today. This observation was confirmed when the monk, having had enough of the truly absurd names being shouted back and forth, whipped around and began laying into them with both the fan and shouting of his own. "No more! I've had it already with you two! If you can't call each other something that makes sense, then don't bother fighting, is that clear?"

Laughing under his breath at the twin groans from the back seat, Hakkai shook his head and let out a happy little sigh. Today was definately going to be a good day.

* * *

All eyes moved toward the door that was hastily flung open and into one of the supporting walls hard enough to chip a little of the paint away. A scout, obviously fresh back from a mission judging by the heavy layers of dirt and travel dust coating his clothing, quickly ran over to the table littered with maps and scribbled paper segments. He dropped to one knee by Kougaiji and extended a heavily folded, smudged document to the youkai prince. "My lord, we found them! They crossed over the mountains instead of taking the pass through to Tamal. They were spotted just now leaving the town of Jhimpar, heading directly westward down the mountain."

Kougaiji took the note eagerly, unfolding it to reveal a crudely drawn map of the area with an X marked off within what appeared to be mountains. That at least was _some_ good news! Between the recent reports of a Bishop Hazel Grosse and his bodyguard annihilating any and all youkai in their path and the Sanzo party going missing completely, he wasn't having a very good week. Every scouting party he'd sent to search out this new threat the bishop created never returned. Whatever they did, it destroyed any trace that the youkai had ever existed. That terrifying ability combined with the Sanzo party's own notorious skills was unthinkable.

"Are they camped there, or driving? And are they alone?" he demanded as he held his hand out for the map Yaone produced automatically. She knew without asking exactly what he was looking for, which made him glance up to give her a smile. The warmth in his chest faded a little bit when he noticed an almost cold look in her eyes, one that was completely alien on the usually kind hearted healer. Not for the first time since it happened, he regretted kissing her without thinking it through a little more. He didn't regret doing it, not in the least. What made him angry with himself was the poor timing. Well, the poor timing plus the fact that she had all but told him she wasn't interested because of her infatuation with Hakkai.

Cho Hakkai... just thinking about him sent jealous pangs all through his system. He knew the reason those two were together was because he hadn't been quick enough to snatch Yaone up for his own. It didn't help to make it any easier though. Hakkai was a decent man. He should be happy that Yaone was with someone who would treat her well. He should be... but he wasn't. Kougaiji restrained the irritated sigh as he stretched out the new, more complete, map in front of him. One problem at a time, he reminded himself. He'd been training hours a day since that humiliating defeat suffered at the hands of Nii Jianyi. It had been hard, grueling and exhausting... but he'd improved drastically. It was now pretty much given that he would win when sparring against Dokugakuji, and there wasn't a better swordsman to be found in Houtu Castle. Perhaps it was time to test his skills out against the Sanzo party, see where he stood in regards to them.

"They were driving at the time, my lord, but it was early evening when they were spotted. They're most likely camping in that general area now, and the last report states it's only the four of them," the scout offered helpfully.

He compared the rough map the scout had handed to him to the more detailed one, circling a rough ten mile diameter of the X marked section. If they hurried and left now, they might catch them before leaving the actual mountain range... It would give the Sanzo party the tactical advantage of higher ground, but since this was the only way down the mountain in relative safety, it seemed a good enough spot to plan an ambush. "Dokugakuji, order the dragons to be saddled. I think it's about time we paid them a little visit."

"Sure, Kou. You think you're up to it right away though? You've been training awfully hard, maybe resting up a day wouldn't be such a bad idea," the swordsman commented as casually as possible.

Kougaiji's gaze snapped up at the taller man, narrowing as he tried to figure out if it was genuine concern or perhaps Dokugakuji's way of keeping him from possibly fighting Yaone's lover. The look in the deep brown eyes staring back reassured him it was only concern for his well being that made the man speak. He gave a cold little smirk as he stood from the table, reaching into his pocket to pull out a few coins to hand over to the scout. The scout took the coins eagerly and left hastily from the room with his prize. "Consider this the test to see if I'm really ready or not," he answered. "If we win, that sutra is ours. If not... more training will be needed, and I will _not_ face them again until I'm absolutely certain I can defeat them. Yaone, I want those new explosives you've created brought as well. I think it's about time we see how well chi shields can stand up to those." Nothing malicious or influenced by jealousy in that last order. Nope... nothing at all.

"Of course, my lord," she answered formally, complete with her customary half bow.

The brief flare of shock at the way she so easily accepted the fact that she very well could blow up her lover was immediately washed away at the return of such strict formality. He nodded once, gritting his teeth to keep from repeating that she didn't need to be so formal with him. Of course she had to, she was trying to keep their relationship in a proper light, he thought bitterly. How foolish of him to think that by simply kissing her things would change. Call it bruised ego, hurt pride or a jealous rage... however one wished to see it. Was it terribly wrong of him to be truly looking forward to this particular face off? It only went so far in healing his hurt emotions and male ego to imagine the training dummies to be his rival. He was aching for a chance to take on Cho Hakkai himself, if only for the sake of his own pride.

He stalked around the end of the table, heading for the door with clenched fists as he reigned in the jealous beast trying to get loose inside him. Not in front of Yaone... He wouldn't allow himself to act that way in front of her, not without some for of an excuse. Like fighting their sworn enemies. "Be ready in an hour to leave. I want full aerial sweeps before we land to pin point their exact location and scout the terrain a bit. Assign a guard to Lirin as well. I don't want her near this particular fight."

"Do you expect it to be that terrible, my lord?" Yaone asked, a hint of concern creeping into her words.

Kougaiji stopped at the sound of her voice, turning just enough to glance over his shoulder at her. He didn't need to see her fully to imagine she was touching one hand to her lips nervously and that her eyes were a little rounder than usual. He arched a brow, the jealous beast inside him goading him to press the scenario to see what her reaction would be. "It just might be, Yaone. Does that bother you?"

He wasn't expecting the grim line her lips thinned down to, nor the almost fierce gleam to spark through her eyes. "Not at all, my lord," she answered in a tone of voice that was so iced over even Dokugakuji took a half step away from her. "I'll be sure to bring enough medical supplies for us, should we need it."

He stepped back as she swept by him quickly, her eyes lowered but her face clearly showing that she was taking a cold delight in this particular encounter. Kougaiji blinked as he watched her round a corner to take the stairs down to her lab. He glanced back at Dokugakuji as the big man joined him in the doorway, his arms folded across the front of his long coat. "Did I miss something?" the prince asked, still surprised to see this much harsher side to his usually gentle apothecary.

"I don't think it was directed at you, Kou," Dokugakuji assured him before giving him a ruthless grin. "A damned good thing too, if that glare of hers was said anything. I almost feel sorry for those guys." With those parting words and a rather cruel chuckle that made Kougaiji turn to _him_ in surprise, the swordsman walked off to get their affairs in order before departure.

Kougaiji shook his head and remained where he stood for a few seconds longer before he left as well, feeling equal parts ecstatic and angry at the same time. It was very clear that Yaone and her lover weren't on the best of terms at the moment. What else could explain that dose of ice water running through her veins? The jealous side of him was absolutely thrilled at the idea that their little relationship just might implode on its own. The other part... the angry side... was more angry than ever at Hakkai for hurting someone as remarkable as Yaone. And here he was almost feeling as Dokugakuji did in regards to facing these four! Anyone who hurt one of his people deserved every ounce of pain and suffering he could give back in return. Cho Hakkai was no exception to that rule, even if her pain meant he gained some small advantage over his romantic rival. No one hurt Yaone, simple as that. He'd been looking forward to the fight before, but now... It was all he could do to keep from simply grabbing a dragon and leaving without any support. He smiled to himself as he walked down the corridors of Houtu Castle to prepare for his first confrontation with the Sanzo party in a very, very long time.

* * *

Well... if that wasn't the most interesting bit of gossip he'd heard in a long while! Hazel resettled his hat in place, his customary smile tucked away in favor of a pensive frown that did little to mar the prefect smoothness of his cheeks. After so many years without any contact, and then just to suddenly spring up out of nowhere. Priest Ukoku Sanzo... one of the most friendly gentlemen he'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. And about the only human he could think of that sent a cold chill right up and down his spine. How was it someone could be so wonderfully pleasant and easy to talk to, yet still manage to scare the begeesus out of him with those same desireable traits? He would have said his unease around the dark haired man was because he'd seen first hand truly terrifying the power of the sutra he guarded was, but in actuality it had been like this since day one of meeting him. Ukoku Sanzo was definately a scarier flavor of monk than Genjyo Sanzo. Such complete opposites, really, like comparing the moon's dark glow to the sun's radiance.

And to think, someone with the sun's radiance could possibly be protecting the darkest damned beast of them all? Hazel felt a sigh slip from his lips as he unconsciously sped his steps up. How could one man, sporting a venemous tongue and a nasty aim, end up getting himself into so much trouble with demons? There was cause for concern that the holy man was actually _bedding_ one of those animals, but after what Mr. Ukoku told him...

The Seitein Tasei. The Great sage equaling Heaven. A beast that was neither god nor youkai, a heretical creature that simply sprung from the earth's energy. It was hard to imagine such a fell monster lurked behind the boyish face of that little fella following Mr. Sanzo around. It was only a hunch, after all, but golden eyes weren't exactly a common thing. True, those blessed by his power came back with eyes a bright yellow... But that Son Goku's eyes were a screaming gold, like freshly pressed coins or highly polished antique flatwear. There was no comparison between yellow and that particular shade. It was definately worth investigating at any rate.

He spared a glance to his left, to where Gat was just barely walking at his shoulder. The big man was being awfully quiet. Well, not that he was a man of many words to begin with, but ever since they'd parted company with Mr. Ukoku, Gat hadn't said a word. That was over eight hours ago. He _had_ to have some opinion in all this.

"Gat?" he questioned while still watching his step as they marched forward. They had searched the few towns that were scattered just beyond the gap between the mountains, but no one had seen or heard of the Sanzo party being in that area. Had they really gone over the mountain? That took heaps of extra time! Of course, maybe they had a reason for the longer route...

Gat glanced downward, his face and eyes completely blank. It would be easier to read a speck of dirt, Hazel mused wryly as his lips twisted into a thoughtful little frown. There was no indication whatsoever that his companion felt any sort of thing. A good poker face was essential to develope, but this was absurd! "You've been awful quiet over there. Somethin' the matter?"

"Not really," the big man rumbled in response. Nothing followed those two words beyond the heavy sounds of his feet moving along the worn path.

Well, if that wasn't a noncommital answer if he'd ever heard one! Hazel shook his head, rubbing his temples lightly. 'Not really' translated as 'most definately' in Gat Speak. He wasn't surprised, really. For some reason, the giant had taken quite a fancy to that little guy. He could understand why, to a certain degree. There was something rather endearing about the effervescent youth. That didn't mean he'd want to spend any quality time with the boy or anything! After all, he _was_ a youkai.

But then again... so was Mr. Hakkai, and he seemed a right proper gentlemen. A refreshingly cultured, polite individual who was pretty damned handy in a fight and seemed to genuinely care what happened to the humans. It was a first in all his years of dealing with the monsters to have one turn out to be a civilized individual. Those two were quite the condundrum in his way of thinking. He'd always thought that the youkai were nothing but murdering, vile, disgusting animals who had only one thing they were good for, and that was keeping him stocked with the souls he needed to repair their damage. After spending a little time with the unique, albeit seemingly malfunctioning, demons that followed Mr. Sanzo... he wasn't sure any longer.

That was why he wanted to find those four again and see if Goku really was this great and terrible creature. It had been a stroke of luck running into Mr. Ukoku on the way to Tamal. They'd continued the rest of the way into the busy city and gone straight to a rather nice watering hole to have a drink and chit chat for a bit. He'd had every intention of trying to track down that youkai temptress that was sleeping with Mr. Sanzo, but his plans had quickly shifted at the mention of the Seitein Tasei's evil power. It was more important he find out the exact nature of Goku's power than to worry about some demon whore he could always track down and dispose of at a later date.

Hazel stiffened as the very recognizable stench of smoke came to his nose. The acrid, stinging scent was laced through with something else he knew very well, something that was more sickening to his senses than any amount of burning wood; the smell of charred flesh. His eyes searched out the dry, craggy area at the base of the mountain, searching amoungst the masses of sand and roughly surfaced plateus for the source of that horrid stench. It wasn't hard to locate the black laces of smoke trailing idly from around a sharp bend behind a rock face.

"Gat," he said, forming both a warning and an order of the man's name. The soft click of metal on metal told him his giant companion's guns were drawn and ready. Hazel took steady breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth, using the controled breathing as a means to keep the smell from sticking in his throat too badly. He knew after they were done investigating the mischief up ahead he'd most likely be sick to his stomach, but he'd worry about that later. He wasn't a man to balk at gore, but there was something about the seared, fatty smell of cooking human flesh that turned his stomach faster than curdled milk.

Together they moved swiftly and as quietly as they could down the path and around the sharp turn, using the rock formation as cover to shield them from possible attack. The road plunged downward into a sharp valley full of bright golden sand and the ruined remains of a wall. Large chunks of desert brick were scattered all around, looking as if a giant hand had come down from the heavens and simply crushed the little town into the dust. Little licks of dying flames flickered from the decemated buildings, and he didn't have to move closer to know those blackened shapes flung about the ruins were burned bodies. All of them men from the looks of it, possibly a small group of farmers trying to make homes for their wives and children before bringing them out here. Some were armed, some were not. A few wore pieces of armor, which meant they had died defending themselves.

Hazel stepped through what would have been the gates to the town, a coldness sweeping over him as he took in the masacre with a detached coldness he'd had to develope in order to survive the horrors he'd seen. So many other towns before like this. So many innocent people, going about their daily life, suddenly wiped clean from the world. Later, he would relive this vision in his nightmares, but for now he simply stared at the corpses and tried not to think about the blistered, peeling skin revealing meat that was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Gat followed behind him, a reassuring presence at his back as he slowly walked through the rubble that used to be a small human town.

"Thank God there weren't any children," he murmured to himself, finally having to close his eyes when he came across the remains of seven men, all of them looking as if their chests had exploded outward. The broken ribs, which he knew should have been white and glistening in the heat of an early afternoon sun, were blackened from where they had been fire kissed. At least the poor men had died before being burned. His fists tightened painfully as the coldness finally spread into the familiar hatred for the disgusting monsters who did this. This is what Sanzo and his followers wanted to save? Creatures who destroyed entire towns so brutally? It didn't matter if they claimed it was some terrible, world ending calamity that caused the youkai to act like this. People knew what was right and what was wrong. Murdering people was wrong, there was nothing that could excuse that!

Hazel's head snapped up, eyes as icy and frigid as any arctic storm could be, at the sound of rasping laughter and shifting debris. So... the dogs that did this were still here? He headed toward the sounds of merriment, so completely out of place and wrong considering the scenery. Sparks and bits of ash sizzled to his left as a section of roofing caved in and hit the smoldering remains of a wooden dining table. The laughter got louder as he got closer, but was cut off when the distinctive sound of a man screaming interupted it.

"Shit,... he's still alive! Kill him already, he's makin' my ears ache!"

"Yo, get that pot of water goin'! This one's nice an' chubby!"

He would be sick later... he would be sick later. He continued the little chant as they rounded the end of a stone house that survived the initial fires and came upon a group of twenty or so demons just in time to see them slash through the crying, bleeding man's throat harshly. The laughter that ensued as blood arched from the gash in his sunburned throat was disgusting. Hazel's eyes narrowed as he stepped aside, giving Gat a clear path to those creatures. "Go on, Gat," he said softly, a small thread of satisfaction washing over him at the fact that the youkai still weren't aware they were even there.

The thunder of Gat's guns blazing brought about momentary expressions of shock before the youkai began to scream and fall to the ground. A few tried to run for cover and took bullets to the backs of their heads. Some reached for weapons and received lungs full of lead for the effort. Gat mowed them down, shooting while reloading as he filled them with more holes than Swiss cheese. He continued shooting until not a single one was standing, waiting until the smoke of gun discharge had cleared a bit before moving closer to them, keeping his guns trained on the twitching mass of bodies.

Hazel surveyed the newly made dead and felt nothing but righteousness that they had taken these foul things from the earth. He touched his pendant delicately, letting the little door in his mind that kept his power locked away open to activate the warm metal. The youkai corpses began to melt and dissolve into a pale blue light, sifting through the air toward his pendant and filling it with the power of their souls. It was like turning a faucet on and letting the water flood into a thin, narrow cup. There were so many souls still, but he only had the limit of what he could hold. No matter, he would use what he had to revive some of the people here and the replenish to revive a few more. He turned, preparing to head over to the first of the mangled human bodies when he heard a whimpering gasp from the pile of youkai.

Turning, he spotted one that was scrunched under the fall of a house wall, eyes wide and glistening with tears as jerky sobs of fright jerked through its scrunched form. Claws covered in smoke and blood were clenched tightly in stringy greenish hair as it surveyed its dead comrads with something very close to naked panic. It flinched at the sound of Hazel's boots crunching along the dirt and ruin in between them, eyes taking on a glazed, panic look that was very reminiscent of a deer caught in headlights. "P-Please... don't k-kill me!" it begged.

"I really don't have a good reason to leave you alive," Hazel replied. "It's your choice how you want to do this. If you want to come out and die like a man on your feet, then you better get up and do so. If not, Gat can just shoot you there and you can die like a dog pissin' itself in a corner."

"I-I don't... I don't wanna die! Please, have m-mercy! I swear... I swear I won't k-kill another human! Ever! P-p-please..."

Hazel felt a cold smile turn his lips up as he adjusted his hat. "That's one promise I'm gonna hold ya to. Gat."

The demon's eyes widened impossibly further at the sound of bullets sliding slowly into a gun chamber. Hazel watched without flinching as Gat squeezed the trigger once on his gun, the recoil barely jarring the thick arm holding the weapon. The sound of the bullet hitting squarely between the demon's eyes was overshadowed by the eruption of blood and brain matter out the back of its head. Its face still bore that shocked expression as it slumped forward awkwardly on itself. Hazel let out the breath he'd been holding and said a quick little prayer for the unfortunate victims of this day. After that moment of silence, he gave his companion a sad smile and said, "Well, let's bring back as many of these poor souls as we can. I reckon we should-"

"Hazel, look out!" Hazel had only a moment to register the shout before Gat dove on him, shoving him harshly to the ground just barely in time to miss the enormous blast of fire that had come snaking toward him from seemingly out of nowhere. He winced, gasping to drag some air into his abused lungs as he was trapped between a very uncomfortable section of crumbled wall and Gat's enormous bulk. The thought that he truly was trapped between a rock and a hard place rang through his adrenaline soaked mind, but it failed to prduce the chuckle it normally would have.

The weight was suddenly lifted from his chest as Gat spun around lightning fast to begin firing at the figure that came leaping through the burning column of fire. The youkai snarled fiercely, wielding a sword in expertly executed arcs to deflect every last bullet almost impossibly. Hazel crawled backward over the remains as the two figures collided with a loud crack. Gat just barely managed to block the sword coming down for him with one gun, reloading the other one handed as he struggled to keep the tall, powerfully built youkai back. So... there were more of these sons of bitches hiding? He wasn't surprised, the monsters were cowards deep down. But... boy, was that a big coward facing off with Gat! He was nearly as tall and broad through the shoulders as his companion. He briefly considered that perhaps Gat would meet his match in this one, but quickly shoved that aside as silly nonsense. Gat would win, no questions asked. A sword against bullets was no contest at all.

"Yaone, now!" the youkai shouted, neer taking his dark eyes from Gat's face.

A thin whistling sound pierced the air shortly before Hazel was rocked off his feet and made momentarily airborn from a series of explosions that erupted a few feet from where he stood. He continued to roll across the ground, just barely avoiding the silvery objects he saw out of the corner of his eye. Whoever was throwing them was either a very bad shot or doing it intentionally to drive him back. The second option was confirmed when the explosions ceased completely. What in the blue wonder was going on? He coughed and shoved the rubble that had fallen on him off as he regained his feet, peering through watery eyes and smoke at the figures emerging before him. The flaming spyre twisted upward through the air, writhing as if being sucked down an enormous funnel it didn't want to go down. It faded and winded down until it was a mere spark held in the palm of another youkai, this one bearing such an immensely powerful aura that it almost sizzled the air particles around him. How had he not sensed it earlier? The burning pressure it threw all around it was nearly staggering! Hazel turned his attention back to Gat as the giant finally gave a mighty shove and forced the demon he had been tangling with back. Good, he was still in one piece. They were going to need all the luck they could get facing this one!

The swordsman leapt to the side of the one still holding that almost tame spark of fire. Hazel stepped forward to Gat's side, eyes narrowing as another figure ran from behind the cover of a burned out building to the fire demon's side. Long purple hait, big eyes... a rather abundant decolletage... Recognition instantly hit him, and he knew from the quickly supressed shock that she recognized him as well. It was the youkai whore, the one Sanzo was seeing. She looked more the part of lady-of-the-night in the get up she'd somehow gotten into, but no change in clothing could hide the fact that she truly was one of the disgusting beasts. So... this was her true alliance, was it? Well, it looked like he was going to get his chance at her anyway. Luck seemed to be with him today, and he hoped it remained so when they faced the fire mage full on.

"You killed them," the fire demon hissed, eyes an inhuman shade of bluish purple that sparked with a deadly intent. The fire in his hand pulsed briefly in response to his anger. "You killed them all, you bastard!"

"And they killed all these innocent humans," Hazel replied with a casual shrug. "They deserved to die."

"Who are you to decide that?" the demon shouted fiercely. Hazel winced as the raised volume rung in his ears, but refused from getting into a debate of ethics with a monster. That was too... what was the word? Ironic, perhaps?

"You're wrong," the woman interjected coldly. Three small spheres, no bigger than paint balls, were poised between the fingers of each hand. He was willing to bet those were the explosives from just a few minutes before. Amazing something so small carried such a punch! He never would have thought a paramour to have a good head for explosives. "This used to be a human military base, one that was responsible for slaughtering any youkai in the area brutally. Those men you just killed were acting out of self defense!"

"Sounds to me like the human fellas were only doin' their job by clearin' the area of those nasty animals," the bishop replied with another shrug of indifference. "Besides, it seems more likely that if the humans attacked they had a good reason. If you're tryin' to make me feel bad, little lady, you're only makin' me regret not gettin' here sooner to help these poor folks in their efforts." He paused, chuckling as if just realizing what he'd said. "Beggin' your pardon... I meant the term 'lady' as loosely as possible."

"Why, you son of a bitch!" The growl of outrage came from the sword wielding fella, who made a rush for them in a burst of nearly unseeing speed. Hazel pivoted, preparing to dodge an attack he most likely wouldn't see coming, and was faced instead with the gigantic back of Gat. Gat began pouring bullets at the white blur that was his combatant, reloading and shooting one handed to keep the barrage coming. Hazel remained hidden behind his companion and tried to focus on reviving the humans to aid them in the fight, a difficult thing to do when the possibility of being burned alive at any moment was very real. The concentration was broken when he heard the tell tale shrillness of projectiles and immediately dove for cover over the other side of a wall. The difficulty in gaining the concentration he needed was also greatly hindered by having to dodge explosions every four seconds.

Hazel quickly covered his head with both arms as one of the little silver balls erupted just barely out of range to do some serious damage and sent a shower of earth, dirt and debris cascading down on him. The first thing he noticed was the deep tear in the finely made coat he wore, the sleeve having been gashed horrifically open by the falling rocks. He shot a scowl at the rubble surrounding him and brushed the dust from his sleeves before touching his pendant to release just a little of his power to start with. He had already planned on killing the temptress for bespelling Mr. Sanzo... but now it was personal. She'd just ruined his most favorite coat! He could almost forgive her for seducing a monk sworn to celebacy. Mr. Sanzo _was_ a terribly attractive man, after all. But the damage to such finely made clothing... unforgiveable! Carefully lest one of those little balls come launching his way, he peeked out from behind his make-shift shelter to better gage where to send the souls first to give them the best advantage for attack.

* * *

"Okay... so lemme see if I've got it right," Goku said carefully from the back of the Jeep. "If I chew on your sock for ten whole minutes, you're gonna buy me twenty meatbuns, right?"

Sanzo couldn't see it from where he sat, but he could damn well imagine the smug little twist of lips and the nod that Gojyo gave the kid. Unbelievable... Goku wasn't stupid, not by any stretch of the word. He was just so fucking gullible sometimes that it almost didn't matter how smart the boy actually was! Who in their right mind would put ANY piece of clothing from that nasty kappa in their mouth? Not even for all the cigarettes he could smoke from India and back again would he do something like that! Hakkai, who actually _did_ Gojyo's laundry, wouldn't even do that if that grimace of distaste was any clue. He sighed, his eyebrows quirking briefly as the upcoming debachle unfolded itself in his head. He _could_ stop this painful lesson before hand with just a couple swipes of the fan... but he wasn't in the mood. In a way, the normal routine of bickering and childish antics wasn't as annoying as it usually was. He blamed that on the fact that he was actually feeling rather good today.

In fact, he hadn't felt this good in days. He hated to admit it, even if it was only to himself, but the 'talk' with Gojyo had actually helped put things into a new perspective. It didn't surprise him at all that the red head would have answers for his relationship issues, considering how much that slut got around town. Apparently, Gojyo picked up more than just a convenient screw during his encounters. There wasn't any doubt in Sanzo's mind that no one in all of India or China knew as much about women as Sha Gojyo. What shocked him was that the knowledge was actually proving useful. A simple, discreet (Gojyo and discreet... gasp) conversation over cards and he suddenly knew exactly what he wanted and how to go about getting it in regards to Yaone.

First, he had to find a way to meet her alone and just to talk. Gojyo was right in saying that he was the one holding the knife to his own head. Yaone had wanted to talk, and that's exactly what they would do this time. It wasn't something he looked forward to, but he'd suck it up and just deal with the discomfort. If he wanted her to stay, then he had to do this. Second, after finding a place to talk, he would bring up Tamal and find out what exactly the circle on the map had meant. If he was supposed to have met her there, she was going to be pissy and understandably so. However, her clue sucked ass. If she expected him to get it at all, she was way off her mark. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too angry at him to ignore that. Next, they would talk further about Kougaiji and how he figured into her life. True, it was almost like beating a dead horse into fuzzy pudding at this point, but he would listen to her once more and then set it aside as being finished business, never to be brought up again. She wanted him to trust her, and he would _try_ to do so. He couldn't promise immediate results, but he could promise an immediate attempt at it.

From there... he wasn't entirely sure. Most likely some form of apology that did _not_ involve the most physically gratifying sex of their lives. That was going to be the most difficult part for him. The apology, not the sex. Every word he'd spoken during the argument he'd felt was valid and merited by his own observations. He wasn't at all sorry for saying them. But... perhaps there was a way to compromise this issue of conscience. If he apologized for how his words made her _feel_, then technically he wasn't implying he regretted saying them to begin with. And, it was the truth anyway. He didn't like how she'd reacted to what he'd said. He hadn't wanted to cause her to cry or to have her scream at him. That had never been his intention, no matter how angry and confused he had been at the time. Apologizing for that aspect of their fight wouldn't contradict anything he felt in regards to it. He smiled to himself, pleased with that little plan he'd come up with.

Now the only problem remaining was how to get her to meet him. If it turned out that the circle on the map was in fact a warning to avoid Tamal, then the problem didn't exist. If however his gut instinct was right (which it usually was) and it was intended for him to meet her there... deep shit didn't begin to cover the trouble he was going to be in. After the fight they'd had shortly before she'd snuck out and left him, he could very easily see how she would take him not showing up in Tamal. _If_ that was even the point of the message to begin with. If it was, he'd be very lucky if all she threw at him were harsh words. He knew he wouldn't be at all happy if their roles were reversed, so it was to be expected she would react the same. That would also mean she wouldn't bother trying to locate him any time soon, which left their only true form of contact being when Kougaiji felt like getting his ass kicked.

Which, he noted with a mixture of relief and annoyance, had been markedly less of late. On the one hand, it meant not having to deal with the issue of possibly facing Yaone in battle. On the other, he'd never been one to believe that no news was good news, and he knew just how hard (and what kind of risks) she took for her employer. He much prefered having her in front of him so that he knew she was alive and well, but that wasn't going to happen so long as the prince was MIA. No one had said a word about it, but the lack of Kougaiji randomly showing up to attack them hadn't gone unnoticed by the others either. Every time a boulder dropped suspiciously, all eyes turned to the top in case there was an over excited girl perched on top and grinning enthusiastically down at them. It had been months before he and Yaone had their fight since Kougaiji had bothered to attack them, not counting the time he'd been pathetically brainwashed. Who was to say _when_ he'd get a chance to see her again? At least during a fight, there was a chance to get a message through to her. Hakkai knew all about their relationship, so asking him to play messenger boy wouldn't be too hard to do. He was, after all, the only one in their group who could get close enough to her for the job. But that's only _if_ Kougaiji got off his lazy punk-ass and came after them. Just where the hell was that bastard anyway?

Sanzo let out a low, weary sigh and relaxed as much as he could into the worn passenger seat. This whole thing was really such a pain in the ass. Had he known what it involved, he would have said it was more effort than it was worth from the very start. However now... Damn it, what had she done to him? Yaone made him feel so many things, all of them different and so confusing that he couldn't begin to sort it out if he tried. It was nothing like how he felt in regards to his traveling companions, not even Goku. Goku, he admitted to caring for the boy very much. Ever since that day on a lonely mountain when he'd stared into dinner plate sized golden eyes bearing the glazed of stupidity, he'd cared for him. It had taken a long time for Yaone to reach that level of caring, and it was a miracle at all that she did considering she was technically in his way on this mission. But after he'd finally admitted that he cared about Yaone as much as Goku, it hadn't stopped there like he'd expected it to. He'd continued to... care more. How it was possible, he couldn't even begin to understand. Wasn't there a limit as to how much one could care for another? It wasn't that his feelings for Goku had lessened or transfered to her, more that she'd broken through this imagined boundary and made him... what? Like her? No, not that. It was too in general. He liked his cigarettes, but that didn't mean he was eager to converse with them or anything. Did he love her then? A strange sense of rightness passed through him with that question. Love...

As much as he hated the corny, cliched phrase, it was the only one that seemed suitable for what he felt toward Yaone. Well, there were other synonyms for love, other words he could use or say instead of it. He blamed commercialization for the fact that when he heard 'love' all he could see were big, frilly pink hearts and gods-awful nicknames of the most embarassing and emasculating kind. He hadn't really considered the word until recently, and what had surprised him was that something else came to mind after he'd banished those horrid little gift card hearts from his mind. What, or rather who, he thought of was Yaone. Even though there was a very good chance they were finished completely, she was still what he thought of when the word 'love' was tossed about in his head. It felt pretty good to put the two together... yet it made him nearly sick to his stomach at the same time.

It wasn't just nerves in regards to this new realisation, either. There were definate pangs of fear and doubt intermingled within the mess of emotions she was responsible for. The first and last time he'd ever admitted to loving someone they'd died horribly in front of him. He knew no matter what was different this time around, he would forever associate that feeling with that particular moment in his life. Yaone was strong. She was clever, cautious and fantastically quick thinking during any situation. He knew first hand that she wasn't one to die easily. Neither was his master...and he had still been murdered brutally. It was difficult to think of loving someone when that particular emotion was connected with so much pain. If he could avoid admitting it he would have, but that wasn't a possibility here. Gojyo was completely correct in saying that he alone held the key to ending it with Yaone. If he wanted her to stay with him, which he did without a doubt, he had to show her she _was_ important to him. Unfortunately, that would require admitting that he did... love... her. Damn it, as if he didn't have enough shit to deal with on this mission!

"So... that's, like, two meatbuns a minute, right?" Goku pressed. Sanzo rolled his eyes, his attention shifting back to the conversation that was continuing behind him. Sweet Merciful Goddess... it was obvious from the pensive tone that Goku was seriously considering the dare. Only those two would come up with something so pathetic out of boredom. Why couldn't they just fall asleep for the drive? He scowled as a sharp bump in the road made the empty paper coffee cups jump on the floor board by his feet. Right... because Hakkai just _had_ to stop for a shit load of coffee when passing through that one check point. And naturally the fucking moron just _had_ to get the two with preschool mentality some highly charged stimulants laced with enough sugar to keep an elephant wired for a month. Somedays, he seriously doubted in Hakkai's sanity. This was definately one of those days.

"Go you, math whiz," Gojyo drawled sarcastically in response, his fingers tapping a little more sharply in a constant, obnoxious rhythme. If the red head didn't stop drumming his fingers against the back of the seat, they were going to be bitten off and spit back in his face! "So, are you gonna do it or continue to wow us with your awesome adding skills?"

"Shut up, watersprite, I'm thinkin' still!"

Sanzo snorted and shook his head, glancing over at Hakkai as the other man chuckled mercilessly. "When was the last time you washed his socks, Hakkai?" he asked quietly, using the bickering that erupted predictably from the 'watersprite' comment to ask his question without fear the other two would hear.

"That particular pair?" Hakkai asked back with a slight tightening to his smile. Clearly, the answer wasn't a good one, for Goku at any rate. The green eyed bastard was enjoying this way too much for it to possibly bode well. "Those are his lucky socks he's wearing, Sanzo."

Sanzo arched a brow at the silence following that less than descriptive answer. When it was obvious that Hakkai didn't have any intention of explaining his response, he prompted him to continue with an irritated, "And?"

"They come out for card games and they don't get washed until he loses a game."

"Oh." He began to seriously reconsider just ending it all with the fan now instead having to endure the many hours of wailing, whining, moaning and cussing that were soon to follow. Gojyo hadn't lost a game of cards in longer than he could remember. If those were the socks he wore... Then again, if Goku was going to be dumb enough to actually take the bet, maybe it was better to let the kid suffer for it without any help. Live and learn and all that bullshit. He rubbed his eyes briefly before reaching under his seat for his bag to go through the contents. Well, he'd let Goku be as naive as he wanted, but even he couldn't sit back and allow the boy to suffer the full consequenses of his actions. It was _Gojyo's_ sock, for the gods' sakes! Hadn't the kid complained not too long ago about his taste buds wanting to die? Well, they were about to get their death penalty carried out unless he did something to prevent it! Now, where the hell did he put it? He was pretty sure he still had some... but where the hell was it?

"Sanzo?" Hakkai queried curiously, sparing a glance for him as he continued to shove aside various miscellaneous items in his bag..

"Just checking for that stuff you bought for an upset stomach. The monkey's going to need it in a few minutes."

Hakkai's gentle chuckle was cut off as Goku, with a loud snarl of outrage, jumped up in the back and shouted, "Alright! Gimme th' damn socks, Gojyo! Thirty meatbuns for fifteen minutes!" Apparently, they'd haggled out a reasonable exchange between them... by Monkey Standards, at least. If it were anyone else, there weren't enough meatbuns in the world to compensate for what the kappa was asking in return.

"You're on, chimp! Hope you like the taste of foot sweat in your mouth!"

"It'll be an appetizer for my meatbuns!"

The sound of Gojyo shifting around in the back to remove his boot was cut off by Hakkai cutting the wheel sharply, foot slamming on the brakes hard as everyone made a mad grab for whatever could hold them in the vehicle. The two in back shrieked loudly as the Jeep tipped briefly onto two wheels as it spun itself around in a spray of sand. Sanzo just barely got a hold of the OS bar, gritting his teeth and scrunching his eyes shut as the scenery did a sickeningly swift donut spin with the Jeep's movements. Everyone thunked back into place as the engine stalled out, and Sanzo winced sharply when the rough halting of motion snapped his neck painfully forward and back. Whiplash, how fucking marvelous! By the gods, if he heard any sort of bullshit about a penguin...

"Hakkai, you fucking... whoa. Uh... Sanzo?"

Sanzo slowly opened his eyes at the odd tone to Gojyo's voice while still gritting his teeth to keep from beating their driver into an unconscious state. Maybe Hakkai would drive better if he weren't awake, he thought sarcastically before glancing back in the rear view mirror at the other two. His eyes narrowed when he noticed that both sets of eyes were wide and staring at something ahead of them. The kappa had started off obviously pissed at their driver, but something had happened to make him wary and on edge. It was evident in the hesitant question to his tone, the slightly different lilt that meant something wasn't at all right. A very fine tremor, one that would have gone unnoticed by anyone who didn't know him well, shivered its way through Goku's body. He glanced off to the right when he heard a soft gasp of breath, and noted that Hakkai's own wide eyed gaze was fixed on whatever held the other two captivated as well. Slowly, he followed their line of sight... and a sudden wash of icy coldness flooded through his blood, despite the the fact they were in an unbearably hot desert. Everything went blank; every thought, every word, every possible reaction to what he was seeing simply couldn't surface through the shocked horror of the situation displayed before him.

Hakkai's muttered, "Oh, dear," didn't begin to cover it.

There, barely fifteen feet away, were Hazel and Gat. And, more alarming than even that, another twenty feet away from the duo stood Kougaji, Dokugakuji... and Yaone. The very familiar sound of a gun hammer slowly clicking back, one that usually filled him with a deadly calm, now almost brought his heart to a complete stop.


	42. Chapter 42

Sanzo flinched, his hand tightening around the OS bar inside the Jeep's door at the bursting gout of flame that went rushing toward the bishop and his bodyguard. Fire exploded everywhere, but he was relieved when he noticed the very familiar shape of Yaone running for cover. Smart woman... thank the gods for that! He heard Goku make a sound of amazement at the amount of power Kougaiji was displaying. What ws even more impressive was the fact that both Gat and Hazel ere still fairly unscathed from that much flaming power being thrown at them.

"I never thought I'd say this but... maybe we should go give Kougaiji's people a hand," Gojyo muttered from in back as yet another burst of fire heralded Dokugakuji making a lightning quick attack at Hazel. Everyone in the Jeep groaned in sympathy as the large swordsman ended up getting pistol whipped by Gat as the marksman reloaded quickly and began firing.

"No... I don't think that would be very fair," Hakkai added abscently. "Two against three is a very uneven number as it is. As much as I would love to see the bishop taken down several knotches, it wouldn't feel right making it a seven on two situation."

"Then maybe we should leave," Sanzo remarked as his breath suddenly locked in his throat. If they weren't going to do anything, then he didn't want to stay and watch. He wanted to close his eyes on the scene, but couldn't. It was like he was stuck watching as Yaone went running in, her face one of complete and utter concentration as she flung a series of explosives at the duo and drove them back behind the rubble. Each explosion made his body wind up tighter, muscles clenching almost painfully tight.

Shit... This was exactly what he'd been afraid of from the very start. Images of her lying limp on the ground with glassy, unseeing eyes as her blood spread thickly under her came into being. Icy coldness swept through his system as he watched her constantly put herself between the prince while he worked a summoning spell and the bullets whizzing in her direction. She was smart... she was strong... she would be alright... He very nearly jumped out of the Jeep when a bullet grazed her shoulder and sent a small arc of blood into the air. No, she wasn't going to be okay! He began to reach for his gun, intent on killing the bastard who harmed her.

He'd only gotten it half way drawn when Goku's voice cut through the sounds of battle clearly. "Hazel, Kougaiji! What're you guys doin' out here?"

Both warring sides came to a hault as five sets of eyes whirled onto them. Sanzo stiffened when he met Yaone's gaze. The shock was quickly washed away in a look that bordered near hostile before she glanced away with an angry flush to her cheeks. Great... not only did he have her safety to be concerned for, he also had her anger to deal with as well. That look clearly told him he'd made a very wrong decision in regards to Tamal. He was in deep, steaming shit for sure, but he'd worry about it _after_ he was certain she made it out of this alive.

Kougaiji was the first to react to Goku's question, eyes narrowing to lethal slits as his lips twisted into a disgusted sneer. "So... this is the Bishop Hazel Grosse. The man who has been slaughtering the youkai without mercy. This is who you choose to align yourself with, Sanzo? I thought you had a bit more honor than that."

"My, I do believe the gentleman just insinuated I was a murderer, Gat," Hazel remarked with a cold purr to his voice. The smile that he usually wore was completely missing, leaving nothing but hard, pale lines and a very focused glare. It was obvious he had every intention of seeing Kougaiji dead on the ground. "But then again, I suppose one can't expect monsters to have a sense of propriety. Am I correct in assumin' you must be Prince Kougaiji? I've heard a mighty good deal about you, sir."

"And I've heard quite a bit about you as well, bishop. None of it too pleasant," Kougaiji spat back.

Hazel sighed and dusted his hat clean of the debris caused by Yaone's bombs. "Well, I do apologize, Mr. Sanzo, but I'm afraid Gat and I are just gonna have to finish off your friend here. Not only is he one of them demons plaguin' this world, but he's also a wee bit too rude for his own good. No hard feelin's."

"He's not my friend," Sanzo answered automatically before he closed his eyes and dropped his head to his chest just as he realized what the reflexive remark would sound like to Yaone. She probably thought he'd said that out of jealous spite, and he couldn't blame her for that. Even if it was far from true, his past actions would most definately lead her to believe that. Fuuuuuck! He spared a glance for her in which he hoped she'd understand that wasn't what he'd intended. Yaone wasn't looking at him, all her attention bent on the bishop and his guard dog. _Like it should be_, he reminded himself firmly. The thought occured to him then that perhaps by being here he could possibly be serving as a distraction for her. The icy fear solidified into a tight, freezing knot in his stomach with that unpleasant idea. Shit... she could die... because of...

"Well, that's mighty relievin' to hear," Hazel called with a wide grin and a bright tone to his voice. "It would be mighty heartbreakin' to kill friends of yours."

"Taking credit for your slave's work, are you?" Dokugakuji commented with a derisive sneer. "You've yet to get a drop on any of us, pansy." Gojyo chuckled from in back as he shifted around to get a better view of things.

"Goodness me! Just because we're all fightin' doesn't give y'all the excuse for bein' flat out rude. It's unsportin' of you."

"So is executing innocent people on an ambush," Yaone snapped back. Sanzo actually had to do a double take at her tone. This was the first time he'd actually witnessed her in a real battle, not those mock skirmishes she and Hakkai put on. This Yaone meant business. While it was a very surprising facet to her personality, he couldn't help feeling just a little proud of her for it. She would be fine, he reassured himself. She could handle this. For some reason though, the nagging doubts didn't seem to believe him and refused to go away.

Hazel smiled at her as if she were a simple child he was exuding a good deal of patience for. "What you call an ambush on innocent people I call a tactical advantage against demon spawn," he remarked coldly.

The results of that comment made everyone in the Jeep cringe as Dokugakuji rushed forward toward Gat. The gunman just barely dodged the swiftly executed blade strokes, keeping his ground between the attacker and Hazel. Sanzo's hands clenched tighter when Yaone joined the fray, pulling out... what the hell were those? It was slightly ovular in shape, obviously explosive, but it was nothing like what she normally carried. He remembered her saying something about a new project... but he'd thought she'd only been using it as a cover for not being able to stay long. It burned his pride a bit that he had to admit he'd been wrong yet again about her. She really _had_ been busy, and yet she still found time to sneak away and see him. Shit... this was all too confusing to sort out at the moment. There was too much going on in general right then to afford reconsidering his past actions and words.

"Doku, get down!" Yaone shouted as she flung the object into the air between Kougaiji (who was starting to gather some seriously heavy aura to him) and their enemies. The swordsman was very quick to dive behind some fallen rubble as the incendiary went flashing through the air.

"That sounds like a damn good idea," Gojyo commented shortly before there was a shrill zinging sound followed by a flash of light and a roaring boom of sound that was interupted by a series of smaller, more rapid explosions. Great whorls of dust and debris cascaded around them, even though they were a good distance away from the fight. The Jeep rocked ever so slightly and squealed in protest at the sharp movement. Everyone was coughing and wiping grit from their eyes as the explosion began to settle. The entire fight was completely hidden from view due to the dust cloud and smoke, but it was obviously continuing from the sounds of it. One sound in particular, a gasping cry from Yaone, made his gut sink like lead in water. Sanzo rubbed his eyes furiously before waving at the smoke in front of his face in the hopes of clearing it just a little. Damn it, what the hell was going on?

There was a soft golden glow that accompanied familiar energy, energy which should have felt warm judging by the almost sunshine light associated with it. It didn't. It was beyond frigid, making his skin prickle in response to the frosty texture of it. Hazel was using his power, which meant soon enough there would be shikigami humans trying to kill Kougaiji's group. Sanzo reached to undo the seatbelt fastenings, his fingers fumbling a little in their haste. Shit, what the hell was wrong with him? Panic was beginning to set in as he tried to get the fucking release mechanism to work. He hadn't felt quite as horrifically panicked in... years. Not since that night... No, not now, goddamn it! He finally got the damn seatbelt undone and was just stepping out of the Jeep when an axe came out of nowhere, aiming for the vehicle.

A chi blast erupted and bits of earthy matter that smelled distinctly of blood crumbled to the sand in a pile of human clothing. Raspy whispers and groans of sound came from the emerging figures in the dust, the only words clearly distinguishable being 'kill' and 'youkai'. The shikigami were coming to kill _all_ youkai. Sanzo did a quick scan and realized they were completely surrounded. At least fifty ressurected humans in a throng around them. Lovely. The only real consolation was that, for once, the bad guys weren't out to kill him. Other than that, this situation had just gotten a hell of a lot worse.

"Oh, dear," Hakkai sighed wearily before shooting a glare in Hazel's direction. "This really is in very poor taste, Mr. Hazel," he called out before spinning around to blast through six of the shikigami with a chi bolt.

Hazel didn't hear him. The bishop was too busy evading the gouts of fire and bomb blasts that Yaone and Kougaiji were peppering him with. Gat had his hands (literally) full of a snarling, enraged Dokugakuji, who was dangling from a one handed straight-arm grip while the gunman reloaded. Dokugakuji's sword seemed to be stuck in the bone of Gat's shoulder, if his futile tugging were any indication. The explosions and flames were moving further away, which was both a cause for fear as well as a little relief. If he didn't see the fight and something happened, then perhaps he wouldn't feel so... sick. As much as he wanted to believe that, Sanzo knew it wouldn't be true. No matter what happened, if Yaone was hurt beyond saving he wouldn't handle it well at all. He wasn't entirely certain what he would do, but it wouldn't be pleasant for anyone involved.

The shikigami attacked the other three, leaving Sanzo completely alone as if he weren't important enough to take out. The other three could handle them. There were only fifty, and since it had been established that they weren't really humans there wouldn't be any holdbacks. Somehow, he managed to get his slightly shakey fingers around a cigarette and lit up in the hopes that a quick nicotine fix would help calm his nerves. Each new roar of explosives meeting their target eased the tension just slightly, letting him know that she was still alive and very much in a fighting mood.

"Oh, so nice of you to have a fucking smoke break while we work our asses off," Gojyo sneered as his shaku-jou chain rattled free and sliced through a small clustering of shikigami easily. Sanzo ignored the comment, as well as Hakkai's plea for the red head to leave off on the comments, as Hazel came racing back into view. The bishop was very obviously out of breath and singed from the series of explosive attacks. He was also a little wide eyed, surprised by the fact that he quite possibly could die here. The wall the bishop was leaning against exploded suddenly, bricks and chunks of concrete as well as dust raining down all over the frailer man. Hazel let out a startled cry, which immediately attracted Gat's attention.

The gunman fired just as Kougaiji came running into view. Sanzo's cigarette dropped from his numbed fingers as Yaone threw herself between her lord and the bullet. She gave a small scream of pain as the projectile sliced through her arm, right below where her demon mark was. That son of a bitch... Sanzo took aim and began to squeeze down on the trigger. That over sized, dick loving bastard was going to die now! His anger at seeing her shot at like she was nothing finally forced all the cold dread away, heating it to the point where his blood felt like it was boiling hot oil in his veins. He could feel the grind of the bullet getting ready to launch. Just a few centimeters more...

Everything stopped as a gun erupted, the sharp rapport cutting through the air more clearly than any Catholic church bells could have. The last of the shikigami fell dead as Goku spun his nyoi-bo around almost by accident and crushed its skull. The boy's eyes widened on the scene before them. Sanzo's arm dropped to his side, letting the bullet slide back into place unused. Dokugakuji's eyes were equally as wide as Goku's, shocked and very obviously in pain. His mouth opened for a gasp of surprised breath and blood instantly flew from his lips to splatter on the hand Gat was still using to hold him up. His sword dropped from his hands as blood began to blossom across the front of his white coat. A gut shot at point blank range. If the man survived it, he'd be lucky. Gat's arm coiled shortly before the man flung Dokugakuji's limp body away from him and used his now free hand to explore the deep, unbleeding gash in his shoulder.

"DOKUGAKUJI!" Yaone screamed, trying to make a dash for the swordsman. Kougaiji held her back, and for once Sanzo wasn't at all upset about the close physical proximity of the prince to his girlfriend. To get to Dokugakuji, she'd have to run by both Hazel and Gat. That was completely unacceptable. It hurt something inside him to see the tears in her eyes, the panicked urgency to get to her friend. He knew from past conversations just how much of a big brother figure the swordsman was to her. It had to be killing her that she couldn't get to him.

Sanzo turned when he heard a soft step behind him. Goku was walking forward, eyes determined and carrying that stubborn look he was starting to wear more and more. It very clearly said he didn't want anyone getting in his way, that he was going to do whatever the hell he was going to do no matter what. Hakkai began to intercept him and froze when he, too, caught sight of that look. That wasn't the expression of a boy any longer. That was the look of a young man who knew very clearly what he wanted to do. Goku took a couple sprinting steps the leaped over a pile of fallen rocks. Sanzo's arm shot up again, aiming for Gat's forehead, when the gunmen turned his weapon on the boy.

Goku crouched by Dokugakuji, completely still and without saying a word. He met Gat's gaze... and the gunman began to reload his other gun, clearly giving Goku the chance to finish what he'd started. Hakkai wasn't the only one to breathe a sigh of relief at the momentary truce. Sanzo wiped a hand across his face, uncaring who saw the uncharacteristic show of stress. As soon as this was over with, he was going to tan Goku's ass for giving him a heart attack like that! Goku meanwhile somehow got the much heavier and taller Dokugakuji onto his shoulder and, ignoring the blood the flowed down his shirt and tunic, carried the injured man a safe distance from the fight and closer to Yaone and Kougaiji.

Yaone was there in a split second flash, falling to her knees so quickly she probably took a good bit of skin off. He could hear her voice, thick with tears and worry, instructing the swordsman to remain still and to hold on. Goku stood by for a minute before walking back to their side, giving Sanzo a defiant glare that dared him to find something wrong with what he'd done. Instead, Sanzo ruffled the shorter man's hair, earning him a bright smile in response. Goku was a wreckless idiot at times, but his intentions were always good. Plus, it got Yaone out of the way of the psycho and his butch boyfriend.

Kougaiji glared at Goku, his eyes flaring up as a bit of steam escaped from his clenched fists. He was curling his fingers so tightly that his own claws broke through his skin and sent blood dripping from between the creases. To say the youkai prince was pissed was such an understatement. Kougaiji was _livid._ "I didn't ask for your help," he growled angrily. "This is between us, and it doesn't involve you unless you take _their_ side."

"What bull!" Gojyo exclaimed, his own temper flaring just a bit. "We do your ass a favor, and you're mad at _us?_ Take it out on the fuckers who did it, asshole!"

"Gojyo, please don't encourage the situation," Hakkai warned softly. "Kougaiji does have a point."

"I can't believe you're siding with his ungrateful ass!" The kappa whipped around in disbelief on his friend, his face clearly stating he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Sanzo couldn't see Hakkai from where he stood, but whatever look Hakkai was giving the red head made his shoulders relax. Gojyo's head drooped ever so slightly as he let out a heavy sigh. "Damn... I hate that you know me so well," he muttered. It was enough to make Sanzo roll his eyes. It's not like it wasn't obvious from the start or anything. Gojyo was clearly worried about his brother. Despite being on opposite sides of the playing field, they were still family. He looked over to where Yaone was frantically trying to stop the blood. Dokugakuji wasn't moving, and it didn't look like he was breathing either, but she still continued to fight for him. Perhaps he'd mistaken the loyalty she gave to Kougaiji as one born of romance when it should have been family. She'd said before that the two men were all she had at Houtu Castle. He shook his head, once again amazed at how massively he'd fucked everything up. How could he have been so incredibly blind?

"Y'see, Mr. Sanzo?" Hazel's drawl cut through his thoughts and tore his gaze away from Yaone suspiciously. The bishop was smirking, his pale blue eyes carrying an emotion that bordered on hatred in them. When he said he wanted to destroy all the youkai, he meant it. "You can't keep the monsters from bondin' with each other. Dogs with dogs and all that."

"Can it, crap face," Goku shouted, taking a half step toward the bishop. Hazel stood his ground, but Gat twitched just enough to indicate he wouldn't hesitate shoudl the boy pose a real threat to the bishop. "What's wrong with just helpin' someone out, huh? I don't care if they're youkai or human, but if somebody's gettin' hurt I'm gonna help 'em!"

"Once again, let me make it clear that _this isn't your fight_," Kougaiji snapped as he opened a fist to produce a healthy amount of flaming aura. The flames reflected in his enraged glare, which was now being directed at the bishop and the gunman still standing between them. "So I would suggest you four move on your way and let us continue with what was started."

Gojyo grumbled something under his breath before he pivoted sharply and began walking back toward the Jeep. "You heard His Highness," he called sarcastically. "Let's get the hell outta here so the dear bishop and his pet can kick some royal ass!"

"So nice to hear y'all have such confidence in our abilities," Hazel called cheerfully as he waved at the red head's back. Sanzo grit his teeth and very narrowly refrained from shooting a hole through that perfectly perched hat. Nothing like ruining fashion accessories to get a smile off someone's face.

Yaone stood up slowly from next to Dokugakuji, her eyes closed as she visibly rebuilt herself, and her movement was what stopped him from following the kappa. The look on her face as she struggled to regain her composure in order to help Kougaiji made the part of him that cared for her hurt. As she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, she opened her eyes and began walking toward her lord. There was nothing but cool confidence and clear thought in her eyes now, and with each step she took closer to the fight that was about to resume he could feel the fear begin to twist and knot even more tightly in his stomach. Sanzo took a step toward her without thinking about it, catching himself last minute when he felt cool blue peering at him closely. Hazel was watching her, watching them actually, and the little smirk on his face said he at least guessed there was something between them. The bastard must have somehow found out about them, but how? Her gaze flickered over to him and it was both a warning not to get involved as well as a threat to stay the hell away from her. Damn it... this was killing him to stand and watch her like this! He could feel Goku watching him as well and could very well imagine the look on the boy's face was something close to bewilderment. Goku wouldn't understand why he was just standing there. Hell, he didn't even fully understand why he was standing there and allowing the woman he cared for to go off and possibly die without trying to do something about it!

Once Yaone was by Kougaiji's side a again, her spear leveled at the ground with one hand while the other held three of her usual explosives, Hazel smiled almost cruelly and said, "Are y'all ready to continue this?" Gat's guns rose the safeties clicking cut through the air sharply. A wind blew through, one that could have been considered gentle if only it didn't bring with it dust, smoke and that sickly smell of death just beginning to rot. The corpses left out in the baking heat of the desert sun were beginning to bloat and distend. The bowels that had cut loose offered their own unique stench to that of the decay, baking flesh and dried blood. There ws a tension in the air that was felt by everyone present, one that felt like spiders crawling up the back of the spine. Sanzo waited and damn near fidgeted as the snear silence dragged on. His eyes remained on Kougaiji, whose lips were moving silently. The flames surrounding his fists flared with certain mouthed syllables as the energy around him began to pulse and beat as if taking on form...

"Shit," Sanzo muttered. "He's summoning a fiend. Get ready to duck for cover."

"Awwww, fuck," Gojyo muttered. "I hate those damn things!" Hakkai chuckled from next to him, but if the little threading of chi energy being called to the ready was any clue the healer was preparing just in case someone didn't duck fast enough.

As if it were perfectly orchestrated, Yaone ran forward, flinging her explosives just as Gat was about the squeeze off a few rounds. The shots were fired into the erupting dirt and debris, going wide of their mark as the gunman quickly compensated for the sudden blindness by firing a spray bullets in the hopes of hitting something. He did. Gojyo literally almost yanked Sanzo's arm off as Yaone hit the ground with a sharp cry, clutching the bleeding hole in her thigh. Sanzo struggled against the hold, all thoughts now firing on instinctive reaction than practicality. She was hurt. He had to kill the bastard who did it. The fucking kappa was getting in his way. Those three thoughts were all that truly registered the minute she fell, and they continued to circle around even after she'd managed to stand up again. Gojyo was still struggling to get him into a pin hold of some kind, muttering under his breath about wirey monks and such. "Don't be stupid, Sanzo," the red head finally growled as he sucked up the kidney shot the Sanzo landed with his elbow. "Remember what Kougaiji's doing! You can't help the damsel in distress if the fucking dragon's charred you to little pieces!"

The gathering of aura around Kougaiji suddenly broke wide open, filling the entire area in a burning wash of heated energy that actually made waves of boiling air dance in front of his eyes. The fiend rose above him, screaming shrilly for the blood it was promised. Sanzo knew he was gaping at the thing, probably with his jaw hanging open, but he couldn't help it. This was nothing like any other fiend Kougaiji had ever summoned. He could feel the complexities behind this particular spell, feel just how difficult it would be for any novice to control. Controled it was though, and perfectly so. Kougaiji owned this thing and all the power attached to it. Whatever the prince had been up to in his abscence from the assassination scene, it sure as hell wasn't a knitting class!

"Oh...dear God," Hakkai murmured in awe as the creature twisted and dove with a speed so fast all it became was a reddish-orange blur of motion that promised destruction. The angle of its attack also put it in line for taking them out as well, once it was done with the bishop and his gunman however. Kougaiji was a clever bastard. "Everybody, get down!" There was no need for the warning, seeing as everyone had already started hitting the dirt the minute that thing moved. Gat threw himself directly in front of Hazel, but it wasn't going to do a damn bit of good. The fiend would simply swallow them both up together. Hazel was shouting something to Gat, obviously instructions to get them the hell out of there. The gunman complied and just barely managed to get them both to the side and down. The fiend screamed at missing its first target before it quickly shifted just slightly in order to take out its second.

The fiend roared toward them and met a solid shield of chi energy. Hakkai grunted at the impact, his face screwed into one of utter concentration as he focused everything he had into keeping that thing out. Its teeth of white hot fire bit into the shield, cracks radiating along it in sparking yellow against the greenish glow. Hakkai grit his teeth against the pain of having his psyche attacked and held on. Enraged that it couldn't break through, the fiend withdrew and ended up sending a solid burst of hot energy at them. Sanzo had a moment to marvel at the fact that they were all airborn before his back connected with a hard surface and the wind was knocked out of him. Black spots ate at his vision as he tried to focus on the fight... no, wait, he was seeing two fights now... and just where the hell that fiend had gone. The groans around him told him everyone else was alive as well as he stumbled to his feet and ignored his stomach telling him it needed to puke. More than likely he had a mild concussion, but who really gave a shit about that?

There was a small cut over his eye dripping blood, which he blinked away irritably as he surveyed the new scene. The fiend had split Hazel and Gat apart, the gunman facing the prince in a face off. Hazel was nowhere in sight, and Yaone was crouching near where Dokugakuji was still stretched out and looking much paler than could possibly be healthy. While he was thrilled she was no longer in the line of fire, he couldn't even begin to relax until he knew exactly where the hell Hazel was hiding. Gun shots rang as Gat successfully forced Kougaiji into a retreat, the bullets following the prince as he made a mad dash for a fallen section of wall. There was the sharp ping of metal bullets hitting rock before the big man had to pause and reload.

"Where's Kougaiji?" Goku asked, hopping a little on his right leg. His golden eyes searched the area frantically, looking especially among the bodies, for the prince.

"He took cover over there," Sanzo answered, just as Kougaiji shouted Yaone's name. Gat spun around, one gun leveling in her direction, but she'd already taken off, weaving her way through the ruins as she steadily made her way to her lord's side. Sanzo tightened his grip on his gun and watched the gunman closely. Something was going on. Hazel had to have some kind of plan cooking. Gat had plenty of time to have shot Yaone while she was still in the open and leave Kougaiji defenseless. What were they doing? "How hurt are you, Goku?" he asked.

Goku experimentally put some weight on his leg before bouncing up and down on his toes to test it. "Umm... not too bad," the boy replied. "My ankle's kinda puffy lookin', but I'm okay."

He nodded, satisfied with the answer. "And the others?" He couldn't see Hakkai and Gojyo behind him, but he could sure as hell hear the kappa's cussing.

"Hakkai's bleedin' on his head and he's doin' somethin' to Gojyo's shoulder cuz it's hangin' funny." There was a sharp scream and a growled 'motherfucker' from behind. Obviously, Hakkai had just popped Gojyo's shoulder back in place. Goku winced and glanced up at Sanzo. "I think he's okay now. Why, Sanzo? Are we gonna help 'em out?"

"Maybe. Let's wait and see a little longer."

Goku huffed and shifted anxiously, but he didn't argue with the monk. While he could understand the boy's eagerness for jumping into the fight to help his 'friends', Sanzo figured it would perhaps be best that they didn't. For himself at least. His biggest problem at the moment was seeing Yaone fight, seeing her risk herself for Kougaiji and risk getting shot like her comrade. If he stepped in now and ended the fight then he wouldn't know whether or not she actually _could_ keep herself alive. This way, though it was a damned difficult thing just to sit back and watch bullets fly at his girlfriend, he could knock that fear out and never have to experience it again.

The other two finally came over, Hakkai dabbing at the long gash on his cheek while Gojyo rotated his left shoulder experimentally. Both of them glanced at Sanzo quickly before returning to the fight. Whatever Gojyo whispered to Hakkai couldn't be made out, but it clearly worried the healer judging by the heavy, weary sigh that broke from his lips. The explosion bursting outward from the rock wall Kougaiji and Yaone were taking cover behind was unexpected and surprising enough to make everyone jump back. Goku let out a surprised squawk of sound before falling hard on his eyes, golden eyes catching the bright light of whipping flames like a polished metalic mirror. Sanzo raised an arm to shield against the blast of heat that came rushing by, the effects of being too close to the source of that heat. A moment later and the earth began to explode upward once more, the tell tale whine of an artillary bomb or two being set off. Smaller popping explosions fired outward, and he was more glad than ever that he'd taken the step back with the others when a chunk of molten shrapnel landed near his feet. Fucking son of a... just what the hell did she make anyway?

"Oh... shit!" The kappa's outburst made him lower his arm, eyes squinting to keep the dust from getting in too badly. He missed what had initially caused the outburst, but he could damn well guess accurately at what had happened. Hazel landed on the ground. bracing himself with one hand before turning quickly to see if Yaone was getting back up. Yaone was on the ground at an awkward angle, clutching her chest and obviously trying to relearn how to breathe. He was moving forward again, ignoring both Hakkai and Gojyo telling him to stop. Screw waiting, he couldn't sit back any longer. Hazel's ass was his now!

**BANG!**

The shot rang loud and clear through the slowly swirling puffs of sand and light debris. There was a dull thud of a body hitting the ground. Everything except the sound of sand slapping against fallen chunks of concrete and mud bricks was deathly silent. He couldn't even hear the slight rasp of Yaone's gasping breaths. She'd frozen in her crouched position, not daring to breathe and with eyes that were impossibly round with shock. At first her reaction triggered a nearly overwhelming panic in him. Sanzo felt the numbness creeping back in, a familiar lack of warmth or feeling that he'd only experienced once before this day. Now, he'd gone through it twice. To say he was relieved when she finally blinked and looked over to where the shot had sounded was the understatement of the year. He damn near fell over at the sight of her, the panic-induced adrenaline that had crashed through his system making his entire body shake slightly. She hadn't been shot... she hadn't been shot... He could register the others saying things to him, and he could vaguely make out that it involved Kougaiji but he was too focused on trying to chase that numbness out of his body to really care at the moment. The images that accompanied it, ones washed over in the moonlight shining through rain dampened glass and darkened blood, were trying to break through. He couldn't do shit if that happened, and he needed to regain control right the fuck then and there if he expected to be of any use at all to Yaone.

A very feminine snarl of outrage snapped him right back into the present and made him spin around just a few seconds too late. Yaone was a blur of motion rushing for Hazel. Sanzo had time for a quick step forward and a shout of, "Yaone!" before that damnable gun sounded again. Her scream cut through the air and chilled his blood to the point where he doubted it was actually flowing anymore. He was frozen, paralyzed as she almost seemed arch backward in slow motion. It was as if time itself worked to imprint the memory of her blood flying from her body as she finally contacted the earth, bouncing a couple times and rolling across the sand harshly. She wasn't moving. Gods... she wasn't moving!

He could hear the other three arguing but their words didn't register. All he could see was the image of her in midair from the impact of the shot, her skidding across the ground hard. Her _not moving!_ Damn it all, she _had_ to move! The fingers of his free hand curled tightly, a cold sweat slicking across his palm. "Get up," he said through clenched teeth. His voice was low, so quiet no one else could hear him. "Get up... get the fuck up...," he continued to mutter, each pulse of his racing heart ticking off the time she remained still unmoving. The fighting behind him was getting worse. Hakkai was actually shouting at Gojyo. The only one who was no longer shouting was Goku. He knew the boy was standing next to him, watching him intently. He couldn't be bothered with those confused golden eyes at the moment. Yaone still wasn't...

A sharp gasp of pain and a quickly sucked in hiss of breath heralded her finally rolling over in the sand, one hand pressing to the wound in her shoulder. Sanzo wiped a still shakey hand across his eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks to the gods that she was still alive. As soon as the relief was cleared away, his anger returned full force and with a murderous vendetta. That son of a bitch was dead now. He was already walking forward as Yaone, still struggling to fight, began dragging herself across the sand, one final explosive in her hand. Footsteps behind him alerted him to Goku's presence, and those footsteps were fast overtaking his own. Yaone threw her last bomb and it hit the target perfectly. Gat shoved Hazel aside and took the full impact of the blast, bits of his flesh and muscle curling away from his body in blackened chunks that smelled disgustingly similar to bacon. The look on her face, one of horrific realization that she was about to die, quickly settled into a defiant glare as Hazel smiled and repaired his servant.

"I didn't know you still had some fight in you, little lady," the bishop chuckled, speaking as if they were at an afternoon tea and not in the middle of a blood and body strewn desert. "Rest assured, you'll be seein' your gentlemen friends reeeeal soon. Go on, Gat."

The command was met with just a little hesitation. It was enough to give them the advantage though. He sped up, ignoring how his lungs protested in screaming agony, and very nearly caught up with Goku just as the gunman finally took that step toward her which was his death warrant. He didn't care if that fucking pendant could bring him back over and over again. He would _find_ a way to keep the bastard dead! Goku's snarl preceeded the use of his nyoi-bo as a baseball bat. He'd lecture the kid later about using the weapon the correct way, but for now he would just be grateful the maneuver worked and sent the bigger man stumbling back a couple paces. The gun shot rang wide, punching a hole in the sand a good three feet away from its intended target. Sanzo spared a glance down at her shocked expression before turning a glare on the equally amazed bishop and gunman across from him.

Hakkai and Gojyo circled into place on the other side of Goku, the red head tossing a mocking smirk in Sanzo's direction. "I like how you're not involved with this, Sanzo," he remarked sarcastically.

"Do the rest of us a favor and stop wasting our air," he sneered back, leveling his gun directly between Hazel's wide blue eyes.

The bishop threw his hands up as if to ward off any bullets coming his way. "For once, I must agree with Mr. Red over there," Hazel drawled with that same damnable smirk to his lips. "I thought y'all were just spectators this time around."

"We haven't taken sides, faerie," Sanzo snapped as he clicked the safety off. Gat made a move as if to put himself between Hazel and the banishing gun, but the bishop waved him back subtly. The big man gave his master an uneasy look but did so immediately. Sanzo felt his lips curve into what he knew had to be a nasty smile. If the bishop didn't think he would actually shoot, he was in for a world of disappointment. "As if we'd sit back and let you execute a woman. Human _or_ youkai."

An odd triumph flashed through pale blue eyes as Hazel's smirk turned into a full out grin. "Is that your philosophy? How interesting."

"It's not philosophy, dipshit. It's a fact, one that's especially true for the pervert down on the other end."

Gojyo bristled at the jibe and sent a middle finger shooting up into the air. "How 'bout I jam that stick in your ass so far in it comes out the top of your head, monk?" he snapped back.

"How 'bout you shut up, stupid kappa? Sanzo's right, ya know. If it's wearin' a skirt you're gonna chase it," Goku fired back. He yelped a little when the kappa swung his long arm around behind Hakkai's back and placed a stinging slap to the kid's head.

"The next time you get lippy with me, I'll kick your ass so fucking hard you won't sit to take a shit for a week!"

"Not that I'm necessarily wantin' to continue this with y'all, but Gat and I _are_ bein' held at gun point," Hazel pointed out before another come back could surface. 'And as much as I do enjoy your company, Mr. Sanzo, I don't think you can stand there all night keepin' a bead on us. What, sir, are you intentions for us then?"

"My intention," Sanzo said slowly, making damned sure the coldness he felt inside carried through in his words. "Is for you to die."

"For protectin' myself against a youkai?"

"For hurting a _woman_." _My woman_, he added silently. He could hear her shifting behind him but refrained from turning to see how badly injured she was. She couldn't have been mortally wounded or else Hakkai would have been trying to heal her as soon as he got there.

Hazel relaxed his stance, rubbing the back of his neck as he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "I'm not really certain I see the difference here, Mr. Sanzo," he remarked on a drawl. "True, she does possess the attributes of the fairer sex, but she's still a youkai that attacked me. Am I not allowed to defend myself any longer?"

"Oh, please do allow me to simplify it for you," Hakkai cut in with that deadly sarcasm he was so good at. "You won't hurt her any further. We won't let you. Is there anything about that which wasn't completely clear to you?"

The smile the bishop gave was one of long suffering patience while having to deal with idiots. It was patronizing and designed for the soul purpose of goading Hakkai into something rash. "I understand that part, Mr. Spectacles, and it especially makes sense for you three to be supportin' a fellow youkai. My question was more along the lines of why would Mr. Sanzo wish to do so? Let's be honest, he's not exactly the most knightly when it comes to protectin' ladies."

"And I'm sure he'll respond with the same comment as he did before. We will not allow you to harm ANY WOMAN. It's really not such a difficult concept to grasp, bishop. Or should I perhaps try and simplify it further for you?" Hakkai gave a very dry laugh, as if he just remembered something humorous that really wasn't. "Of course, seeing as I've already phrased it twice now in terms even a child could follow, it'll be a difficult thing to dumb the concept down any more so than I already have."

Hazel laughed back, though his sounded a bit more convincing in its good humor than Hakkai's. "Perhaps it's the fact that you explained it so poorly, Mr. Spectacles. Ya can't expect a horse to find its way to water when the map was drawn wrong, now can ya?"

Gojyo made a low sound of disbelief before waiting for Hakkai to fire back something sharp at the comment. Whatever comment Hakkai would have made was cut off as Yaone spoke from her place on the ground behind them. "Master Sanzo," she said, her voice strained and expressing the pain she had to be going through. "I would suggest... taking cover."

Sanzo finally turned to look back at her, confused by the order. Yaone flicked her gaze off to the side meaningfully. He followed her gaze just as a familiar wash of youkai aura flooded the area. Kougaiji was on his feet again, blood dripping freely from his side as he took a stumbling step closer. His eyes were blazing with fury and matched the fires swirling around him in intensity. His lips were moving but no words could be heard. It didn't matter though, the spell would work anyway. Sanzo hissed as the aural levels spiked sharply. Shit... he was bringing that fiend back for another go! "Get moving, now!" he shouted shortly before taking a grip on Yaone's wrist and dragging her to her feet. She gasped in pain as the jerking movements caused the blood to flow faster but she held on as they ran for the nearest section of wall still standing. He all but threw her behind it to where Goku was waiting, collapsing next to her just barely in time to miss being singed to pieces. He heard Gat shout for Hazel to get behind him shortly before the screeching call of the fiend ruptured the air.

Heat beat at them even with the rapidly warming wall between them and danger. Yaone gasped again as she leaned forward, eyes screwed shut in a look of pain as her fingers began exploring the wound in her shoulder. Sanzo moved closer to her, ignoring the fact that the other three were watching him as he pulled her hand away to inspect the hole himself. Her eyes flew open and a rage that bordered close to hatred flashed through her usually gentle eyes as she jerked herself away from him. "Don't touch me," she snapped as she quickly returned to trying to investigate the wound herself. She clearly expected him to simply sit back and watch while she bled all over the place.

He grabbed her wrist again and firmly pulled her hand down to her lap, matching the glare she gave him with one of his own. "Two things you seem to have forgotten," he commented. "One, I don't do well with being ordered around. Two, I'm more stubborn than you could ever be. Stop acting childish."

Yaone's cheeks flared bright red at the comments, her glare intensifying to the point where he almost expected some bodily damage soon. "The last I knew," she bit out sharply, "You were NOT a trained healer. So logic would dictate that you're unqualified to determine the extent of my injury." When she pulled away from him again, he didn't stop her. He couldn't argue with her when she wasn't willing to listen. He sat back against the wall with an irritated huff and directed his glare anywhere but at her. He was in much deeper shit than he could have possibly imagined if she was being this openly hostile.

Hakkai moved from where he'd flung himself, positioning himself to kneel in front of Yaone. Sanzo glanced at him briefly, curious just what exactly the healer had in mind. "Sanzo is more knowledgeable than you give him credit for, Yaone. However, I do agree that perhaps this might be a little out of his league," he stated with a tone of voice that said there wouldn't be any arguing allowed. "It's not beyond me to heal though. Please, move your hand."

Yaone looked as if she might protest still, but the look Hakkai gave her finally made her let out a defeated little sigh before she complied with the firm request. Sanzo tried not to make it obvious that he was watching, but he was certain Hakkai knew otherwise. Hakkai's brow furrowed thoughtfully as he explored the still bleeding hole carefully, maneuvering her forward a bit and checking the back of her leather vest quickly. "You'll be pleased to know, Sanzo, that the bullet went in and out cleanly," he announced after a bit. 'It doesn't seem to have hit any major blood vessels either. A little chi should fix it right up."

"Good to know," Sanzo muttered as Hakkai put action to words and applied just a little of the stored chi into closing and repairing the tissue damage.

Rotating her shoulder experimentally, Yaone said quietly, "Thank you, Hakkai. However, my physical condition is none of _his_ concern."

"True enough, but I never took a doctor's oath to uphold patient confidentiality and therefore am not bound by that limitation. He was worried and he needed to know you were alright," the green eyed man replied with a little smile before moving back to his spot further down the wall. Sanzo knew without looking that her cheeks were probably a nice, dark red again out of irritation. He didn't care how pissed off she was just so long as she was okay. He felt her eyes on him and glanced her way as discretely as possible, watching her through mostly closed eyes. The look on her face was a mixture of confusion, hurt and anger but there was something in it he couldn't quite name, something that very closely resembled hope. That little bit made him relax marginally against her side as the thought that perhaps there was still a way through all this shit went through his head. After this was done, he'd have to see about somehow getting her alone to talk with her.

The flames and heat stopp abruptly as the aural energies faded out so completely it was as if they'd never existed before. Everyone behind the wall froze, tensing for waht could possibly be coming next. Smoke and ash drifted on the wind over the wall, making it difficult to breathe without coughing and see without getting dried particles in their eyes. "What's goin' on?" Goku whispered only to earn him a smack to the head from Gojyo and a hiss for him to shut up as an answer. Glowering at the red head, Goku slouched down against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he pouted.

"Well... I think we'll call it again, Mr. Prince. It seems you've clean me out of souls completely."

Everyone sat up at the casual drawl and friendly chuckle from Hazel. Was he seriously about to pussy out on a fight? Sanzo peered cautiously around the wall just in time to see Hazel and Gat (who was missing a healthy bit of burned skin and was walking oddly) start to walk away from an enraged Kougaiji.

"COWARD!" Kougaiji shouted, taking half a step forward. "Get back here and finish what you started!"

Hazel stopped and turned just enough to favor Kougaiji with a cold smile tossed over his shoulder. "It's hardly cowardice, Mr. Prince, to restock on ammunition. If we stay and fight you, Gat's gonna to be burned beyond repair. I don't have the souls to fix him with, so clearly I need to restock in order to continue this round. Don't you worry though, I'm sure we'll be bumpin' into y'all again. Especially your enchantin' lady friend." This last was said with a healthy bit of sarcasm on the word 'lady' and Sanzo could almost imagine the smirk that no doubtedly went along with it.

Kougaiji's growl was one of almost animalistic fury as he began to run toward bishop, fully intent on finishing the fight for good. Sanzo hissed as Yaone quickly got to her feet, almost trampling him in her haste to prevent that from happening. Just as Gat was turning to draw his gun, she made it to her lord, throwing herself on him in an effort to restrain him. "No, Lord Kougaiji! Please... just let it go for now. You're injured, and Doku's... Let them go." Slowly, the tension began to fade from Kougaiji's body. The blind rage left his face almst completely, softening into a glare that was of a more controled nature as he curved one arm around Yaone in a gesture that was more intimate than protective. Sanzo squished the little jealous spark that tried to surface immediately, killing it beyond any hope of. He'd known for a while that Kougaiji had a thing for Yaone. She had told him as much and had been very honest about it. While he didn't necessarily enjoy the sight of another man holding her like that, he needed to trust the fact that she wasn't reciprocating the emotions behind it.

"Very well. The next time, however, there won't be any such mercy," Kougaiji snapped before guiding Yaone away from the two men and over to where Dokugakuji was still sprawled unconscious in the sand.

Hazel resettled his hat on his head before offering a sunshine bright smile to the rest of the people gathered. "Well, I suppose this is good bye for now. There's a quaint l'il town about six miles from here. Y'all are welcome to join us if you'd like. Of course, bein' the small town that it is we quite possibly might have to share a room..."

"Fuck that," Gojyo snapped. Hakkai had to grab both the red head's wrists to keep him from following up with a one fingered salute to emphasize the 'fuck' part. "Camping's for _real_ men, douche bag! So go enjoy your tea and your goddamn mini sandwiches and whatever the hell else goes along with them, okay?"

The bishop chuckled as he turned his back on them with one last airy wave over his shoulder. "I wonder if they'll have some of that lovely roast beef that the locals in this area seem to enjoy, Gat?" he questioned just loud enough to get the attention of both Gojyo and Goku. "That cranberry sage gravy they use is deeee-licious! And let's not forget those scrummy pies. Mmmm-mm! Ya think there's a chance they'll have any of those as well? Of course, what meal's complete without..." His voice finally trailed off as the growing evening swallowed it, taking with it the remaining list of food he hoped this town would have.

Everyone continued to stare after the duo for several seconds before Gojyo, with a disgusted shake of his head, muttered, "I really, _really_ hate that guy!"

Goku's face was unusually blank as he took a couple steps toward Gojyo. When the red head looked down at him, the kid landed a sharp kick to his chin before walking off just far enough to slump to the ground, hugging himself as the cool breeze of night time in the desert swept through. "OW! You little... what the hell was that for?"

"Roast beef with cranberry gravy... mini sandwiches... pies... Damn it, Gojyo, why'dja have ta tell him we were gonna camp?" Goku howled before his stomach gurgled as if perfectly on cue. "After all that fightin' I'm sooooo hungry! An' we don't have any FOOD!"

"Get a grip, monkey!" Sanzo snarled before whipping the fan out for one quick smack. "I'd rather you starve than we spend an evening trapped with them."

"Sanzo, that's so mean! I really might starve ta death out here, y'know!"

Sanzo ignored the continued whining as he looked over to where Yaone was trying to carefully arrange Dokugakuji's limp form onto Kougaiji's shoulders. The prince's knees bent a little under the strain of carrying the dead weight of a man easily bigger and heavier than he was, but he managed it and began walking slowly over to where they must have had the dragons tethered. "Hey," he called, the word coming out before he'd ever really considered acting in order to stop them. It was a reflexive impulse, one that came out as easily ashe took a breath. The only problem was he hadn't intended to say anything at all. Great... how fucking smooth!

Kougaiji froze but didn't turn to respond. Yaone glanced over her shoulder at him, a slight edge of curiousity cutting through all the resentment. Sanzo's mind went blank as they waited for what he was going to say. Shit... what the fuck was he going to _say_? He was grateful for the wash of sunset across the desert to disguise the embarassed heat he could feel in his face. Gods, he was such a fucking idiot when it came to her! Why the hell would he speak when he didn't have anything to say?

Fortunately, Hakkai (who was earning himself so many get-out-of-being-shot points it was almost ridiculous) stepped forward then, walking over to them with an appropriately friendly smile. "It might be a wise decision to set our differences aside for one evening. Dokugakuji's too injured to safely transport back on a dragon, and the two of you are both hurt and exhausted. We have camp rations... not much, really... but we'd be more than glad to share for one evening."

"We're not friends," Kougaiji hissed angrily, obviously taking the offer as an insult to his pride.

"I never implied we were. Simply... enemies making a brief truce perhaps? It's just one night, Prince Kougaiji. After that, we'll go back to being enemies again."

The tension in Kougaiji's back stated that he was about to decline for a second time. While he could understand the reasoning behind this decision, it still didn't make Sanzo very happy. It made perfect sense to call a truce and rest for one night... but then again, he wouldn't have done it himself if he were put in the same position. Trust the enemy? Hell, no! He fully expected Kougaiji to keep going on his merry, stubborn way. A good try on Hakkai's part, though.

What he wasn't expecting was Yaone to lean in a little and say in a soft tone, "My lord, perhaps we should consider this option. Dokugakuji's been bleeding for far too long. Ideally, I'd like to have him stabilized before flight, and I'd like the opportunity to examine your own wound as well. My lord, please consider their offer."

The grinding of Kougaiji's teeth could almost be head clearly as his free hand tightened into a fist. "Fine," he said, clipping the word sharply as his pride finally gave in to her request. "There's an oasis about a mile from here that will provide a little more shelter than the desert."

"If you don't mind crowded spaces, we'll be more than happy to offer you a ride there, as well as a ride back to your dragons in the morning."

Snarling a little under his breath, Kougaiji finally turned around, keeping his gaze lowered in an attempt to hide his embarassment. "Thank you," he gritted out through tightly clenched teeth. "I won't forget this, believe me."

Hakkai let out a relieved sigh and bowed politely to the prince. "Please, it's nothing," he murmured back before turning and holding his arm up for Hakuryuu. The little dragon cheeped and cooed as he landed on his owners arm briefly, sticking his nose close to Hakkai's face to sniff at the blood that had dried to his skin. "Hakuryuu, I know you've been traveling hard all day, but do you think you could manage for a few more miles with a few extra people?" The dragon answered with something that sounded like a grumbled agreement, his red eyes flashing just a little irritably as he rose from his perch and transformed. Sanzo automatically took his place up front and tried his best to ignore the glances Goku and Gojyo were shooting him. If the red head snickered one more time, he was going to get himself killed! Hakkai helped situate Dokugakuji in the back, placing the bigger man as flat as possible across everyone's legs. Sanzo stiffened a little when he noticed Hakkai had positioned Yaone toward the front of the Jeep, her shoulders just barely fitting between the gap in the seats. On the one hand it was rather nice to have her that close, even if the smell of gunpowder clung to her strongly. On the other though, the way her back remained perfectly straight and she leaned as far forward and to the driver's seat as possible made it very clear that a truce between their two groups did _not_ mean a truce in their own fight. He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes as the beginnings of a headache began to creep in. Well, he got his wish in a matter of speaking. He'd wanted some time to talk to Yaone, it looked like he was going to get it tonight. That is... _if_ he could convince her not to snap him in half first. As Hakkai shifted into gear and sand sprayed up behind them, Sanzo began to wonder if the green-eyed man's offer to camp together was really such a wonderful thing after all.

* * *

AUTHOR'S ASIDE: Ick. Sorry this chapter kinda sucks. Thank God it's over! 


	43. Chapter 43

They reached the oasis just as full night took over the sky, the moon still working its way up further into the heavens. The sky was peppered over with bright stars, their lights brightening what would have been utter darkness clearly. It was harder to see them in the cities, the murkiness of human and youkai industry blocking them from view. The oasis itself wasn't anything impressive, as people tended to make them out to be. A deep depression in the sand that somehow managed to collect the rain waters and was surrounded by clumps of grass and little shrubs that struggled to remain alive in the harsh desert setting was what it really was. The only thing truly remarkable about it was the fact that it appeared to stretch on for quite a bit and even managed to support a few skinny trees. Any hopes of privacy were very thin at best though.

Sanzo shifted irritably where he sat with his back to one of those thin trees, his cigarette smoke cutting through the rich florals that dotted the vines wrapping around the trunk. Hakkai was in lecture mode with Goku right now, the boy having been amazed at finding himself in a real oasis. From what he'd gathered of the conversation, the flowers were of a night blooming variety and wouldn't be there in the heat of the morning. Kind of like Yaone. His gaze shifted over to where she was checking on Dokugakuji and Yaone for about the millionth time, even though it was completely unnecessary. The youkai prince had passed out in the back of the Jeep from the blood lost, sending her into near hysterics until they came to this spot and Hakkai immediately jumped from the front seat. It had taken a lot of chi to stop the bleeding and repair most of the damage to the two men, but between the green-eyed man and Yaone's skills in healing they managed well enough. Both were alive and sleeping soundly.

He took a hit from his cigarette and tried to ignore the fact that his hands were a little sweaty. Yaone was avoiding him, almost to the point where it wasn't subtle in the least. She didn't look at him, didn't say anything to him... she even made it a point to sit next to Gojyo during their hastily thrown together meal of boiled rice and dried octopus. Gojyo, for once, used his head and kept the conversation polite and in general. Either he was finally getting more health conscious or he could feel the warning glare on the back of his neck telling him to keep his hands to himself. The red head was now lounging on his sleeping bag and playing an idle game of cross solitaire with a cigarette dangling from his lips. His eyes returned to Yaone when she sighed and stood up, smoothing her hands down the leather covering her thighs as she went to their little fire pit and picked up the small empty pot.

"Yaone?" Hakkai questioned, stopping in the middle of a lecture to Goku concerning how exactly an oasis formed to begin with. The minute they'd made camp, the boy had began pestering Hakkai nonstop with his curiousity. It suited Sanzo just fine, considering as he really wasn't in the mood to deal with his charge at the moment.

She swung the pot to emphasize the fact that it was bone dry and said in a voice that was heavy with weariness, "We need some more water to boil." She walked away, fading into the shadows surrounding them. Not a single person bothered to mention the fact that the canteens had been filled with boiled water only a few hours ago. Sanzo shook his head as he stared after where she'd gone. Despite what she'd said to Kougaiji after the fight, she really didn't want to be here. He knew damned well it was because of him, and he found that a little more than mildly irritating.

Silence descended on the group for several long seconds after she left, causing Sanzo to frown and glance up. All three of them were staring at him as if expecting him to suddenly sprout another head. "What?" he snapped, fighting the urge to fidget under their intense stares.

Hakkai sighed and shook his head rather sadly while nudging Goku to get his attention again. Goku's face screwed into a confused look before turning to Hakkai eagerly, obviously dismissing Sanzo in favor of learning something new. "Anyway, as I was saying, the conditions for creating an oasis in the middle of the desert are very rare. This truly is perhaps a once in a life time experience for you, Goku."

"Really? How cool!" the boy exclaimed eagerly. "So... I'm never gonna see another one again?"

"Mmm... there's a good chance you won't see one again, no. But like I was saying..."

Hakkai continued to talk to his very interested student as Sanzo slumped back against the tree again and let out an irritated huff. His eyes narrowed as Gojyo shook his head and chuckled under his breath before flipping a new card over on his sleeping bag. "Something funny, kappa?" he demanded, his hand itching for his gun. What with everything that had happened only a few hours ago, and now Yaone's icy attitude (no matter how well deserved it was) toward him, he didn't feel inclined to deal with the kappa's smart assed comments. All the red head had to do was say one thing the wrong way...

Gojyo flicked the next card up for him to see, his smile fading to one that was a little tight. Crimson eyes bore into his meaningfully as he waggled the queen of hearts between his first and middle finger. "Too bad the queen's mate is so hellbent on jabbing that knife into his head," he murmured just low enough for only Sanzo to hear.

Sanzo snorted and rolled his eyes as the metaphor from not long ago was brought up again. "I doubt he's doing it on purpose," he muttered back. "She's not giving him a chance to pull it away."

"Then perhaps the king of hearts should get off his royal ass and _make_ her give him a chance." Gojyo's gaze slid over to where she'd disappeared into the surrounding darkness. "But that's just how I'd play this hand, I suppose. What do you think?"

Sanzo flicked some ash away, scowling in the same direction Gojyo was looking. He did have a point... again. Gods, this was getting to be really disturbing! Gojyo making sense wasn't something he'd ever thought would happen. He was right though. Why should he simply sit around and wait for Yaone to cool down? She was here, she was off alone. This was about as perfect an opportunity as he was going to get to talk to her. He finished his cigarette in one long pull before crushing it out against the tree trunk and standing up. "I think... I need to take a piss."

Gojyo's snicker followed after him and reaffirmed his belief that a bullet or two to the head (it didn't matter which one) would be a very good thing to knock some of the hot air from that bastard's ego. He knew there were two other gazes besides the kappa's following him as he disappeared in roughly the same direction Yaone had taken. So long as they were smart enough to keep their comments to themselves, he didn't care if they knew any longer. What really mattered was getting her back in anyway he possibly could.

Gods, he was so not looking forward to this!

* * *

Yaone dropped down in the wet sand at the small pond's edge, staring down at her reflection in its cloudy surface. She wanted to cry, but she was too emotionally and physically exhausted to do so. Being so close to Sanzo so soon after... She shook her head, pressing the heal of her palm against one of her throbbing eyes as she regretted the events that lead to her being stuck for the night in such a close proximity to the man that made her chest ache with the pain he caused her. It almost felt as if she possibly... no... she didn't hate him. She never _could_ hate him, no matter what he did. But, damn it, why didn't he come to her? She just wanted him to fight for her, _to reach for her_, for a change. There was no way he couldn't have received the note. It was addressed to him, a very noteable guest at the inn. The clerks wouldn't have dared not to deliver it to him. And there was the map as well. She knew he wouldn't have missed something like a circle on the map. The only reason he wouldn't have followed the clue was because he didn't trust her. If that was the case...

They were through. Completely.

After their last argument, she suspected that perhaps he was finally understanding there was nothing between her and Kougaiji. The fact that he'd gone against what he'd said before the fight and jumped in when she was beginning to think she was going to die said he still cared for her. All the caring in the world didn't mean anything if he didn't trust her.

_He has every reason NOT to trust you. Peeraj, remember?_

She sighed, trailing her fingertips in the water that was still a little warm from the daytime heat. That... was completely true and totally her fault. She accepted that and not a day went by where she didn't regret having done that to him. She may as well have handed over his name. It was almost the same thing, really. He was right that she truly would do anything for Kougaiji if he asked it of her. She would never change that, not for anything. Until she was either dead or had fufilled her vow to repay the debt of her life to Kougaiji, she would continue to serve him loyally. No matter what. It was a major obstacle in their way, almost as massive as the fact that they were enemies and would remain so until everything was done and over with. Yaone sighed again as she began to draw random patterns in the packed sand by her knees. If only they'd discovered each other when the revival project was over, she thought bitterly. Whatever way it was decided, everything would have been a lot easier if they were together in the end of things and not during the middle.

Yaone whipped around at the sound of twigs snapping and dried grass crackling, her hand going for her empty explosives pouch. She relaxed marginally when Sanzo came into view, his face impassive and unreadable. All the hurt and confusion came back full force at the sight of him, stirring itself into anger directed at him. She quickly dipped the pot into the water and stood up, walking hastily away from him and toward the camp again. He didn't move as her shoulder shoved his in passing. She carefully kept her eyes lowered from his so he wouldn't see the tears she'd thought wouldn't come.

"Yaone..."

His voice stopped her in her tracks, her hand tightening around the curved handle of the pot. The tone he put to her name was soft, almost what she would term pleading. A ridiculous thought, that! Sanzo would never plead from anyone. But still... There was something different in his voice, something she'd only caught faint traces of in prior conversations. It was definately more gentle than usual, a little uncertain even. She stayed where she stood, glancing back over her shoulder in a silent request for him to continue. His back was still to her, his head bowed as he looked at the ground. She caught his fingers twisting into the sleeves of his robe in an unconscious gesture of nerves. Nothing further came from him, making the thread of hope that had unfurled at her name get scrunched into the ground and made her chest ache even more. Her mind, body an heart were all raging against one another, the first sneering that she didn't want to hear what he had to say anyway while her body wanted nothing more than to ease the tenseness to his back. Her heart though was sobbing over the fact that he had her here, had her attention... and didn't say a damn thing.

"I have to go," she mumbled, siding with her mind and heart through the confusing slurry of emotions assaulting her. She knew he wanted to talk to her, but it was obvious from his body language he wasn't quite ready to do so. Fine. She wasn't going to wait around all night for him to get ready. It was difficult enough to look at him as it was without slapping his face. Yaone began walking away again, uncaring that water was sloshing from the pot a little on the way. They didn't really need more water anyway. She just wanted to get away from him for a few minutes.

"Yaone."

She stopped again as he said her name, this time turning around to give him an arched brow in question. He was facing her and she could have sworn his cheeks were blushing deep red. His lips parted as he started to say something before snapping shut again almost angrily, his eyes looking off to the side as if unable to look her directly head-on. Everything about him right then screamed uncertainty, and it was only because she'd never once seen him like this that she didn't simply turn her back and ignore him. He tried once again to say what he wanted to and failed completely, the blush staining his cheeks even darker. Whether it was out of embarassment or anger at himself was unclear. He let out a frustrated huff of breath, his hands tightening into irritated fists and remained silent.

Finally, after a minute or so of no conversation or change in physical reaction from him, Yaone let out her own irritated sigh and said sharply, "Look, you're obviously not ready to say what you want, and quite frankly I'm really not in the mood to hear it just now. So, please, do us both a favor and don't waste my time with your stalling. Come talk to me when you're capable of it." There... she'd said it. She wasn't encouraging him _not_ to explain what happened but she was definately letting him know she wasn't happy. She turned away from him again, stepping over a small tree that hadn't survived against the larger ones nearby.

"That's not it," he finally said, the words mumbled so low she almost would have missed them completely were she not tuned in to him still.

Yaone stopped for a third time and turned to face him slightly, setting the pot of water down on the ground to cross her arms over her stomach. "Really?" she asked dubiously. "Then do you care to explain what it _is_?"

Sanzo made a snarling noise under his breath, his lips curling into a faint sneer that she knew from experience wasn't being directed at her. He was frustrated and annoyed with himself and the fact that his usual ease at saying what he wanted to was gone. His eyes opened scanning the area around them as if searching for the answer in the darkness. Yaone frowned in confusion as he seemed to find what he was looking for and began walking off to her right and further into the small cluster of trees near the pond. "Come with me," he ordered.

She had half a mind to tell him to go to hell, but her curiousity won out and she did as he requested, stepping carefully through the frail vegetation and further into the shadows. "This is ridiculous, Sanzo," she stated as they finally seemed to come to where he wanted. One of the larger tress, its trunk nearly as wide as her back, was where he finally stopped, staring up at it with the faintest hint of a satisfied smile. "What do you want to say?"

"This'll do," he said.

"For what? Just what in the hell are you talking about?" she demanded, her curiousity quickly giving way to her mounting irritation and anger toward him. Good God, was the man drunk or just completely out of his mind?

"Stand right here." He pointed to the side of the tree facing her before moving to the other side. She could see his back to the trunk, caught the faint glow of a lighter as he set flame to a cigarette and waited for her to comply.

Yaone arched a brow, this time almost in a challenge to his ordering her about. He was being insufferably arrogant this evening! "Why?" she asked back coldly, crossing her arms again.

Sanzo shot her a mildly exasperated look before glancing pointedly over his shoulder at the tree. Huffing slightly and muttering under her breath about him being overly difficult, Yaone went where he indicated, placing her back to the tree trunk so neither of them saw the other. She kept her arms crossed over her stomach and the tears in check as she waited for him to do or say whatever it was he needed to. He continued to smoke in silence while her irritation with him began to climb higher and higher. She waited, but her patience was wearing quite thin with him. If he didn't start to talk soon...

Her threat was never finished as he began to speak slowly, as if the words were thick and hard to get out. "I'm... sorry." Those two words made her suck her breath in sharply, eyes widening in disbelief at hearing him, Genjyo Sanzo, say them. She was still reeling from the jaw dropping shock as he continued on, completely unaware of her reaction due to their backs being up against the tree. "I never wanted to hurt you. I just... This isn't something I do, damn it! I've never..." His voice trailed off in a frustrated sound as she waited for him to sort out what exactly he was saying. Yaone closed her eyes, her head tilting back against the rough bark of the tree as she swallowed past the growing lump in her throat.

"You've done something to me," he said at length, his voice so low she could barely hear him. His tone became louder and more firm as he continued, the words beginning to roll more easily from him. "I don't know how you've done it, but something in me has changed and it's your fault. I've never been so conflicted in my entire life as I have since we started this thing. It's so goddamn aggravating at times, all these different... emotions. It's completely and totally your fault! One minute, I'm ready to tell you to get the hell away from me and the next... I'd give a hell of a lot to have you back for just a couple more hours."

Yaone covered her mouth with one hand at his words, hot tears slipping down her cheeks easily as her chest tightened with anticipation. She didn't want to get her hopes up over what she thought he was trying to say, but at the same time she couldn't help it. The little thread of hope was beginning to unravel and spread inside her, making her dizzy and a little weak in the knees as he continued speaking from the other side of the tree. "It's been rough recently," he conceded, the grinding of his boot signifying him crushing out his cigarette. "Part of that I'm willing to admit is my fault. I shouldn't have accused you of sleeping with Kougaiji. It was wrong of me to make an assumption like that. I see now that it was completely wrong, but you're to blame for it, you know. Me being jealous. I don't get jealous, not of anything or over anyone... except you. I've never had to deal with it before, so when you made me feel it I didn't know what to do except give in and let it run its course. But I should have trusted you to be honest with me and I should have just let the matter drop completely. You work for him. You're with me. And I'm okay with that now."

She had to clear her throat in order to find her voice, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffling as discreetly as possible. "Then why... why didn't you meet me in Tamal?" she asked, her words sounding a little hoarse and more than filled with pain. "If you figured all this out, why didn't you meet me like I'd asked?"

He shifted behind her, the silk sleeve of his robe brushing against her arm as he said a little dryly, "No offense, but circling a place on the map isn't exactly a very tell-tale sign you want me to meet you. I wasn't sure if you were warning me away from it or if it was where you wanted me to be. I made an error in judgement, but it's one I would make again if the situation could be relived. I didn't know and I wasn't taking the chance that I'd be walking into a town filled with youkai assassins that you were trying to keep me from."

"I left a note with the desk clerk explaining it better. You didn't get that, did you?"

"No."

"What you said before I left... you really hurt me, Sanzo," she whispered. "You never said it, but you basically accused me of being a whore."

"I know, and I was wrong to have done that. I would have met you if I'd known," he replied.

She nodded, the anger and hurt over him not meeting her fading away entirely. He hadn't done it on purpose as she'd first thought. He just hadn't known, and she couldn't be angry with him for making the safe decision. She sniffled again, digging her claws into the bark of the tree by her sides. His hands were close to hers, just a short reach back and she'd have them... But now wasn't the time for that. There were still unresolved issues to be settled. "And what about Peeraj?"

Sanzo stiffened a little behind her. She didn't need to see him to tell that was is reaction. Finally, after she counted almost twelve beats of her rapidly racing heart, he said, "I shouldn't have asked you that to begin with. You have your own responsibilities and asking you to cover for us interfered with those. You have a job you're bound to. You wouldn't have asked me to do anything that might jeopardize the mission. I had no right to ask you to risk your job."

"If it were anyone but Lord Kougaiji to have asked me I would have told them to go to hell in an instant. But... do you understand that I could never lie to him like that? Lord Kougaiji is and always will be my savior. He is the reason I'm alive today and not just another victim to a brutal warlord. As long as he's alive and has my oath to him, he has my first loyalties. You were right about that. I was too angry to see it at the time, but you were. If Kougaiji were to ask me point blank who I was sleeping with, I would tell him because I am bound by my life to do so. Is that something you can deal with?"

He fell silent again, thinking her words over carefully. Slowly, he let his breath out in a sound of resignation. "I don't have much of a choice, do I?" he asked, unable to keep the bitterness from his question.

Yaone shook her head before she realized he couldn't see it. "No, you don't. Just as I don't have a choice but to accept the fact that you're going to try and stop Lord Kougaiji from fulfilling his goal. But... we've always known this wall existed. Right from the very start, we both knew what was at risk for each other. I think the real problem is in our trust in the other. Because of all this, it's difficult to trust the other as completely as is necessary to make this work."

"You don't trust me?"

She paused, chewing her lower lip thoughtfully as she considered the question more seriously than she would have a few weeks earlier. Before all this had happened, she wouldn't have hesitated to say she did. But the closer he got to Houtu Castle, the more and more likely it became they would have to face each other in real combat. Despite the fact that she knew he was trying to tell her he loved her, did she honestly trust him not to eliminate her if she got in his way? How many times had he said he would destroy anything that go between him and completing his mission? Her mind flashed back over the last battle, her eyes closing as the scenes replayed themselves horrifically behind her eyes. When it was down to only her, the last active member of Kougaiji's entourage, he'd stepped in. Even though all their deaths would have been a blessing for completing his mission faster, Sanzo had stepped in to protect her after vowing he wasn't part of the fight. He truly wouldn't let anything harm her and she was beginning to think that included himself. Slowly, she let out a shuddering breath and answered softly, "I do trust you." She swallowed hard and repeated it more firmly. "I trust you, Sanzo. I... I love you."

The sharply inhaled air into his lungs sounded as a hiss in the darkness. She couldn't see his face to tell if it was because she'd caught him by surprise or if for some reason he wasn't happy with her admission. She couldn't help it, the words had slipped free without much thought to them. She loved him and she wanted him aware of that. The words didn't erase the lingering problems, but it felt good to finally say that to him. When it seemed as if he once again wasn't going to reply, she glanced over her shoulder to try and catch something of his profile. "Sanzo?"

"I'm thinking," he replied, and there was something odd to his voice that made her suddenly sick to her stomach with the fear that perhaps she'd pushed him too far. Her heart was screaming at him and his response, hurt once again over the fact that he had to think about her loving him like it was something clinical. It was then that Yaone realized what the true issue was, the sudden clarity hitting her like a shock of electricity. Sanzo didn't want anyone to love him. It was why he'd started the fight, why he never referred to any of his companions as friends. It was why he was constantly beating and insulting Goku and why he was still adding bricks to their wall. No matter how fast she tried to tear them down, he kept adding more and more in. Whether it was to protect himself or protect her was the mystery though. Either way, his fear of letting people love him was the true reason they were in this position. The thing that almost made her double up with tears was the fact that there was nothing she could do about it. No matter what she did, she couldn't take this fear from him. It was something he had to learn to accept on his own.

She froze when his fingers found her hand, curling around her palm and squeezing gently. "I want this to work," he said, changing the subject as neatly as he could. Yaone's eyes squeezed shut as she stifled the pained sob that wanted to break from her chest. She knew him well enough now to know that he tended to change the subject when he didn't like the direction the prior conversation had been going. Sanzo was still running away from her. He was trying even now to keep her at a distance while at the same time keeping him with her. The problem with this was that she wasn't one of his companions. They allowed and accepted the fact that he would never admit to caring for any of them or allow them to admit to caring for him. It was a defence mechanism, one that only he could take away. Until then... there would never be any trust reciprocated to her. Love required trusting. She didn't doubt that he loved her in some form or another. It was the fact that he wouldn't let her love him in return that was the true problem.

"I want you," he continued, unaware of how badly she wanted to just curl up and cry her eyes out. "I want what we had before all this shit happened."

Yaone sighed and hoped he couldn't hear the tears in her voice as she struggled to find her words again. "I need... I need time." It was the truth. She needed time to think this all over, without him there to influence her decision one way or the other. She had to decide whether or not this actually could still work between them, despite the issues of trust and love. Everything had been fine before when they were still in the adjusting stages, getting to know the each other both intimately and emotionally. They were well past that stage of things now. They couldn't go back to it... but she didn't want it to end if she seriously thought they could work through it.

"Time," he repeated, his disbelief evident in the one word.

"Yes. I need time to think about this. Can you give me that?"

"How much time are we talking here?"

"As much time as it takes."

She felt him move around the tree and carefully kept her lashes lowered when he came to stand in front of her. Her body immediately reacted to how close he was, trying to urge her mind into going along with its rather inappropriate thoughts for the situation. They were alone. No one was looking for them. She loved him... so why couldn't they just enjoy each other? It didn't help at all when he traced his fingers down her cheek and along her jaw, his palm cupping her cheek as she leaned into the gentle touch. She very nearly lost it completely as he leaned down and kissed her lips just as carefully, pulling back so that their noses were pressed together. "Okay," he said before stepping away from her and heading back to their camp.

Yaone sagged against the tree, completely overwhelmed for a moment by everything that had happened and how very near he'd been just moments before. She remained where she was for several minutes as she regained a steady breath before she found where the pot was and made her own way back to the camp. Sanzo was curled up with his back to her, looking for all the world like he was asleep. The only person awake besides her was... Dokugakuji. He was sitting up slightly, his upper back propped up by what looked suspiciously like Gojyo's blanket and pillow. The look he gave her was one filled with understanding pity as he sighed and shook his head. Yaone went over to him as he flipped his blanket back as an invitation to snuggle with him. She didn't hesitate, curling up against his shoulder like she would have if he truly were her brother. She fell asleep confused and still aching as Doku rubbed her back soothingly. Sanzo had said okay. He was giving her the time she needed to decide what she wanted to do.

The only problem was... she honestly had no idea what she wanted.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those of you who might possibly kill me... this is finally going to come to an end in about two to three more chapters. FINALLY! Thank you, as always, for reading and a special thanks to everyone who has reviewed. This has been an insane amount of fun to try and pull off. I know I said never again to this pairing but... I do have plans for more fics for them. In the mean time, I really do hope to see more people writing for this pairing. That would just butter my toast wonderfully to see! Also, as a bit of self-pimping here... If anyone was interested in the GojyoxYaone mess I've been talking about, the first chapter was posted not too long ago. I do hope everyone enjoys that as well! 


	44. Chapter 44

It was an automatic action now for Hakkai to get up in the middle of the night to check on their camp. He would make certain the fire was properly maintained and that everyone was asleep and safe. Tonight though, he had a few more people to check on than usual, two of them still injured even after the amount of healing he'd done with his chi. Healing fatal wounds was not something to be done lightly. It severely drained him of energy needed for every day functioning. The only reason dinner ended up being made at all was due to strength of will alone... and the fact that Yaone was a wonderfully skilled cook. He'd helped as much as his exhausted body would allow him, but if the work load were to be split he knew her share would have far out matched his own. She'd kept insisting it was the least she could do for him saving Dokugakuji and Kougaiji, and had said multiple times it was her pleasure to cook for them. He'd smiled politely and accepted her words with many thanks while ignoring the heated glare being tossed his way from one of the patients.

Obviously, a certain prince wasn't at all happy about the 'pleasure' aspect of her insistance. And, it was also obvious said prince was misdirecting her pleasure onto him. Hakkai sighed wearily and rubbed his eyes. First Gojyo, then Goku and now Kougaiji... wherever did these people get the idea that _he_ was sleeping with Yaone? Certainly, she was very pleasant to look at and there was no doubting her fantastic intelligence, but that didn't mean he was interested in her any romantic purposes. He respected her as an equal. Despite what the others thought, he never took it easy on her in a fight. It would have been rude and insulting to do so. Yaone was far stronger than most people took her for. That is, most people with the exception of Sanzo, of course.

Then again, he mused with a slight frown, it didn't seem as if the two of them were on the best of terms at the moment. He didn't think her ire during the fight earlier was entirely due to the bishop and his cohort shooting her comrades. Sanzo had been most uncharacteristic in entering the battle, as well as surprisingly open about his concern for her well being. Yaone probably knew him well enough to understand how exceptionally rare that was for the monk, and yet she acted as if he'd just insulted her entire family before putting a few bullets into her favorite pet. That amount of cool anger could only be the result of a lover's quarrel.

And, while he pitied Sanzo for being on the receiving end of _this_ particular woman's scorn, there was no way short of a very bad nightmare that he would interfere with them. An angry woman who had knowledge in both poisons and explosives, and a monk with anger management issues and a banishing gun... How terrifying!

He suspected that Sanzo's excuse of 'taking a piss' was simply so that he could talk to the upset apothecary. He'd been gone much longer than was necessary to relieve himself. He'd gone straight to bed, unaware that Hakkai was still awake. It was a habit of his he simply couldn't break, waiting up until all members of their camp were accounted for. The fact that he was an insomniac until everyone was present was one of the reasons he really didn't approve of Gojyo spending all night with a stranger. Driving the next morning on little to no sleep was the very definition of hell. Yaone had returned shortly after the monk's breathing had slowed and he could tell from the fire's glow that she'd been crying. Clearly, the talk hadn't gone at all well. This of course would mean Sanzo would be full of piss and vinegar in the morning.

Hakkai glanced worriedly at his other two companions, both of whom were sleeping peacefully, and made a mental note to hint that perhaps the both of them should stay very quite and well behaved in the morning. Sanzo in a bad mood was one thing, but he was even more trigger happy when the source of his bad mood was Yaone. Shaking his head and letting out a low sigh, Hakkai dug through his bag for the first aid kit he would have to restock in the next town. They were completely out medical tape, antibacterial cream and hydrogen peroxide for sterilization, and they were running very low on bandages. He grabbed up the remaining rolls of white gauze and added that to the list of things to get as he approached his first patient.

Dokugakuji was slightly less pale than he had been, but it was most likely due to whatever it was Yaone had given him to lull away the pain and help fix him internally. His lips were parted to allow the breathing that bordered on soft snores to come from his throat and a small troubled crease was between his brows. Hakkai carefully examined the wrappings around the swordsman's waist and stomach, checking to see if any blood had seeped through the stitches and softer patches of chi-revived skin. Nothing there, thankfully. The harsh scrape down his cheek caused by being flung across course sand was starting to bleed through though. He peeled away the bandage, grimacing as he tried to recycle the tape to secure the fresh gauze with. It went against everything he knew about healing to do that, but how else was he to get it to stay in place?

The swordsman twitched a little in his sleep, a subconscious sign of discomfort as Hakkai replaced the fresh bandage as gently as he could. He placed his hand against the other man's forehead to feel for temperature before moving his hand to the uninjured cheek. He placed his palm flat on the chest covered over in blankets and began counting back seconds in his head while checking the stability of Dokugakuji's breathing. Lastly, he held the other man's wrist in his hand, fingers pressed over the pulse spot, and checked for rhythmic beating. The pulse was a little slower than was normal, but chances were more than likely it was due to the drugs rather than anything traumatic. Satisfied that the swordsman was well, he stood and went to check on his last patient before returning to sleep.

No sooner had he knelt beside the resting prince than he found himself rolling backward to avoid a lightning quick backhand directed for his face. Instantly, all trace of sleep left his body as he waited, poised for a further attack. He mentally berated himself for being so foolish as to sneak up on a sleeping warrior as he took several deep, calming breaths to stop his heart from pumping adrenaline into his system. How incredibly careless of him, especially considering Sanzo was even more jumpy when woken out of a deep sleep. Kougaiji's eyes were narrowed and focused angrily on him, but they began to soften into something that resembled only mild contempt when he realized who he had lashed out. Hakkai waited while the prince's body slowly relaxed back onto the sleeping bag.

Kougaiji made a soft scoffing sound under his breath before sliding a decidedly unfriendly look in Hakkai's direction. "Was there a reason you were coming over here?" he demanded haughtily.

Hakkai slid closer slowly, trying to relax himself while still on edge over the prince's slightly hostile actions. Kougaiji had been rather snippy with him all night, so naturally he would be a little mroe cautious than usual when approaching someone who obviously didn't care much for him. He'd initially thought that perhaps the prince's reaction was because he felt that accepting their aid was a blow to his pride, but now he wasn't so sure about that theory. Being mindful of Kougaiji's ill temper (which was thankfully more restrained than Sanzo's would have been), Hakkai made certain to keep his hands easily visible, the gauze carefully kept in plain view so as not to be mistaken for a weapon as he moved closer. "I was just going to check your wounds, Lord Kougaiji. I apologize for having woken you."

The coldness in those indigo blue eyes was the type he normally would have expected from a certain monk. It made him hesitate in getting any closer to the prince and left him utterly at a loss for what he could have done to offend.

"Yaone can do it. She is, after all, _my healer_," Kougaiji sneered before pointedly turning his head away to signify the conversation was over.

Unfortunately, Kougaiji had no idea who he was talking to. Hakkai had more than enough experience dealing with difficult patients through his friends. One cranky prince was going to be nothing to a cussing monk, a howling monkey and a squirming kappa. He moved those last few feet to Kougaiji's side quickly on his knees, earnign him a wary glare for clearly disobeying him. He put on his most firm smile as he said in a voice that brooked no resistance, "I'm sorry, but this needs to be done and Yaone's asleep. I'm not going to wake her up simply to change bandages, not when I'm perfectly capable of doing the task. She's completely exhausted from today's activities... or did you perhaps not notice that?"

An angry snarl preceded the fierce blush staining across Kougaiji's cheeks as he once again snapped his head to the side and directed his glare into the trees. "I notice a good deal more than you think, Cho Hakkai."

Hakkai laughed lightly while gripping the prince's arm a little harder than he normally would have. Judging by the sudden tension in the wirey muscles, the gentle threat hadn't gone unnoticed. "As a good ruler should, of course. May I please check your dressings now?"

Still growling under his breath, the prince shoved the sleeping bag down roughly, instantly wincing when the sharp movement jerked his bandaged chest and stomach painfully. Hakkai carefully kept his smile from slipping into an I-told-you-so smirk as he checked gently for tenderness in the freshly healed area. Nothing seemed out of order with the wounds, but there was a little spotting on Kougaiji's side from blood seeping through the stitches Yaone had set carefully. "Can you sit up?"

"Why?" the prince demanded suspiciously.

Hakkai pressed just enough along the edges of the wound to make the other man suck in a hiss of breath. "This one is bleeding just a little. I want to make certain you didn't tear any stitches from your sudden movements."

Slowly, Kougaiji obeyed him and sat up, eyes crinkling a little in pain as he rose from being supported on his elbows to sitting upright completely. Hakkai quickly began unwrapping the bandages so that the prince didn't have to sit in that position for longer than was necessary. He once again had to salvage the tape pieces and hoped that this fact went unnoticed by his patient. The bandages peeled away easily from his skin, only sticking and becoming a little difficult where the blood had soaked through. He used a clean section to wipe away the small gathering of blood in the darker stitches, leaning closer to better see the wound in the dim light of the fire.

"I know about you."

The statement caught Hakkai off guard and made him glance up at Kougaiji's profile questioning. "Know what about me?" he asked, completely confused as to what the prince could possibly be talking about now. If it was in regards to his past, he wasn't at all surprised to know that their enemies were aware of what he'd done. It was only natural that one would research one's opponents as thoroughly as possible before facing them in battle.

"About you... and _her_."

That made him stop in the middle of examining what might have been a tear in the skin surrounding the stitches in favor of sitting up slowly to face Kougaiji. Hakkai followed the other man's line of sight toward the sleeping figure of Yaone laying with her back to them. The pieces fell into place without a doubt to form a complete and exact picture of just what was going on; Kougaiji really _did _think he was Yaone's lover. If it weren't for the fact that he was tired of people assuming he was sleeping with the apothecary, he would have found the entire thing highly amusing. At least this explained the misplaced fit of temper... which _should_ have been directed at the blissfully sleeping monk not even ten feet away from them.

Letting out a frustrated little sigh, Hakkai shook his head as he returned to dabbing at the wound. "Lord Kougaiji, I'm afraid-"

"-Save it. I really don't want to hear you lie and deny it," he said angrily, his voice rising just a bit. Hakkai cringed slightly when he saw Sanzo roll over in his sleep, his pale brows creasing faintly at the increase in sound. "It was perfectly obvious tonight, what with the way you two acted. Anyone with eyes can see that you and Yaone are sleeping- mmph!"

Hakkai didn't once stop to think about his inappropriate actions toward a youkai royal. He quickly clamped his hand on Kougaiji's mouth, ignoring the startled expression on the prince's face while watching to make certain Sanzo didn't wake up. The very last thing he wanted was an annoyed Sanzo woken from his sleep under the false assumption that he was sleeping with Yaone. If it was his fate to take a blessed round to the head, it would NOT be because Kougaiji had a big mouth and blind jealousy! Satisfied that the monk wasn't about to wake up and start shooting at him, he let out a relieved breath as the pent up adrenaline coursed through his system. Slowly, he removed his hands from the still startled Kougaiji's mouth and lowered his eyes as he made a half bow in apology. "I'm sorry I had to do that, but Sanzo is a very light sleeper. He tends to be at his most homicidal when woken up abruptly."

Kougaiji's eyes darkened angrily as his cheeks flared up again. "So, you admit it then?" he pressed, the only indication that he had registered Hakkai's words being the lowering of his voice. "You admit to sleeping with her?"

"What from my last statement did you take as admission to anything?" Hakkai asked, a thread of irritation creeping into his tone. He would do a lot of things for Sanzo at the drop of a hat, but he would _not_ bear the brunt of Kougaiji's jealous wrath. He liked his facial features exactly where they were, thank you very much.

"I saw the way she acted around you this evening," he hissed, his features tight with restrained outrage. "A person would have to be blind to miss it!"

Sighing and pausing in his ministrations to rub his eyes wearily, Hakkai's mouth twisted into a discouraged little frown as he sat back on his heels. He met the prince's gaze steadily, unphased by the dislike being directed at him. "Do you love her?" he asked softly, keeping his senses open for any sign that Sanzo might be awake.

Kougaiji blinked at the question, his jaw dropping open a little in shock at the boldness of his words. His mouth snapped shut, eyes flaring a little brighter as he gritted out, "That is none of your business. What do you think gives you the right to ask something like that?"

"Because, it seems to me, Lord Kougaiji, that if you loved someone you would want them to be happy... even if that happiness was obtained through another person. Part of being in love is making each other happy in all aspects of their life, and not begrudging them the right to find happiness where they may." Smiling, he finished fixing the bandages around the stunned royal before standing and brushing his hands against each other. Leaning forward at the waist as if he were telling Kougaiji a very important secret, he murmured, "Besides... Yaone's lover is never more calm than when he's spent some time with her. I would absolutely hate to see that ruined."

He could feel wide indigo eyes on his back as he walked away and couldn't help the little smirk that crossed his lips. Not only had he managed to kill any suspicions that he was Yaone's lover, but he also (hopefully) solved any romantic challenge the prince might have offered to Sanzo. Two birds with one stone... and he managed to keep their secret sealed away. Kougaiji would either direct his jealousy at the right person, or go after the more 'logical' one of Gojyo. Either way, it was off of him now and he didn't have to worry about being mauled by a fiend in the middle of the night. A little pleased sigh escaped as he returned to his sleeping bag and closed his eyes to return to sleep.

* * *

The next morning was an odd affair of jovial bantering and strained silences. Gojyo and Dokugakuji had been bickering in a friendly fashion since the two of them woke up, which amused Goku to no end. The boy sat eating his fourth bowl of oatmeal with round glowing eyes that would flicker from one sibling to the other as the words were fired back and forth. Hakkai was smiling as usual, but that didn't mean shit for him. He could be depressed out of his mind and still that smile would be there. Kougaiji himself looked as if a small hedgehog had crawled down his throat and died, leaving him with a slightly bewildered expression mixed with a tracery of pained shock. Whatever the hell was eating the prince wasn't his concern. Yaone though...

Was ignoring him still.

Sanzo nearly bit the filter from his cigarette as he once again caught himself staring at her as she moved around the camp. Last night's conversation had been one of the hardest and most embarassing things he'd ever had to do in his entire life. He got through it though... with a little help from Goku, surprisingly. Whenever the boy had gotten into trouble when he was younger, he used to make Sanzo either turn his back or stand behind a door to talk because he didn't want to see his guardian's face while confessing to his latest bout of mischief. He had no idea what had sparked those particular memories last night when he'd been trying to find the words to make her listen, but he was rather glad they had. The trick worked beautifully. He'd said what he'd wanted to say to her, got it out in the open.

And she was still pissed at him.

Granted, it wasn't the type of pissed where he was dreading some kind of horrible drug slipped into his food like when they'd initially made camp. That thankfully had simmered down to something that was at least more easily handled. And no, he didn't really expect her to throw herself on him and say everything was okay... but he at least thought she would be done with the whole silent treatment. He'd apologized to her for what he'd said as well as the Peeraj problem, told her he was fine with her working for Kougaiji still (and, he was... well, he was _getting_ there, to be perfectly honest) and had cleared up the whole Tamal fiasco all in one go. Just what the hell else did he have to do to end this fight? He wouldn't buy flowers. Not in a million years...

Okay, fine. If flowers meant her not giving him the cold shoulder, then he'd suck it up and buy the damned things. But they'd be the first fucking things he found with petals, not those overpriced rose bouquets other idiots bought in moments of insanity for their girlfriends. Nope, no roses. He drew the line there. Thankfully though (and this truly was the only thankful thing about this mess) he really didn't think purchasing a floral arrangement was the key to victory. What _would_ patch everything up... he had no fucking clue.

He'd tried opening up, like she had wanted him to do. Thinking those words had been far easier than actually saying them and... well... didn't he get _some_ kind of reward for the effort, damn it? She knew it wasn't something that came naturally to him, like it seemed to with Gojyo and Goku. Hakkai, despite his outward friendliness, wasn't a very open person at all when it came to personal shit. Just like himself... minus the smile, of course. He would have thought Yaone would have picked up on that fact a while ago. Or maybe she _did_ know it and just didn't give a damn? Maybe he'd completely and totally blown it with her, and this whole 'I need time' thing was utter bullshit.

And just what the hell kind of response was that anyway? 'I need time'... Time for what? To decide whether she wanted to continue their relationship? Why did she need time to think about that? He took a heavy drag off his cigarette before grinding it under his boot heel. Perhaps he was overthinking things a bit. Maybe the key he was looking for was in her request; time. Fine, he could definately do that. It was a hell of a lot less embarassing than spending money on flowers. If time was what she needed, he would give her as much time as she needed. He doubted very much his interests would go anywhere else. She was the first woman he'd ever met that was more than tolerable, and she was the _only_ woman he'd ever spent this much time with. She was pretty enough to be attractive, but not so much that it would cause too many problems with perverts. She was definately smart enough to hold her own with him, or anyone else he could think of for that matter. Her patience was apparently endless, but she had a kick to her that clearly said she wasn't someone to be fucked with lightly. He didn't want to lose all that she was simply because he was impatient for an answer. She was worth waiting for, as was true of anything good in life.

Sanzo stood up, and the movement finally caught everyone's attention. To hell with this. The sooner they all parted ways, the sooner she could get her time. "Let's go. I'm sick of sleeping on sand. You better haul ass driving today, Hakkai," he said curtly.

"Of course, Sanzo, but first we should probably complete our end of the truce and transport them back to their dragons," Hakkai replied as he rubbed two fingers under Hakuryuu's chin affectionately. The little dragon cooed in response before flapping a few feet away in the air. A quick flash of light and the dragon magically turned into a Jeep. Sanzo never could get over how weird that was, but he wasn't going to complain about it in the least. Hakuryuu was perhaps the most useful member of their group. The one time the white dragon had disappeared for an evening had been horrible enough.

"Whatever, just make it quick."

Dokugakuji's lips curled into a derisive sneer as he growled, "If it's too much trouble for you, monk, we can just walk back."

Sanzo gave the swordsman a slow blink, a little taken back by the aggressive tone. Since when had Dokugakuji turned a raging asshole? A quick glance in Yaone's direction and at the blush on her cheeks as she gave her friend a slightly pleading look said it all. The big guy knew about them and was going uber-protective of her. Greeeeat... he could just hear the 'you hurt her, I'll kick your ass' speech now.

Before he could reply with something suitably scathing, Gojyo stepped in and clamped a friendly hand on his brother's shoulder. "Naw, it's part of our agreement," he drawled with a lazy, good ol' boy smile. "Besides, letting an old man hike through the desert without his walker... soooo uncool!"

Dokugakuji fought the smile that came with his words, finally failing after several attempts to keep the scowl in place. "The only one who's gonna need help walking is you, runt. When I'm done kicking your ass, you'll be walking like a drunk for the next ten years!"

"So says the thirty-plus old man! How's that arthritis treatin' you?"

"Easy on the thirty-plus, kid. You're almost a quarter of a century old, y'know."

The bickering continued between the two as they climbed into the back, Goku piping up whenever he felt the need and with no concern for which side he was supporting. Sanzo groaned and pressed his fingers to his temples as they pulsed menacingly. A headache... just what he fucking needed! Letting out another frustrated groan, he quickly went over to the Jeep and claimed his spot in the front passenger seat just as Kougaiji made a move to claim it. Their gazes met, his mocking the other for missing the opportunity for prime seating while the prince's glared his irritation. Muttering something that just escaped hearing under his breath, Kougaiji climbed into the back and positioned himself as far away from the others as possible.

Sanzo's shoulders tensed briefly when Yaone was helped into the back by every man except for Goku, who was busy snickering at all the chivalrous intent. Sanzo rolled his eyes and shook his head at the show those idiots put on. Yaone was perfectly capable of getting herself in and out of a Jeep. For anyone who complained that chivalry was dead, his reply was with good reason, too. It had been replaced with the common sense that women could do the same shit without a guy's help. How many female assassins did it take to drive that point home? When she sat herself with her back between the gap in the driver and passenger seat, he couldn't help the sharply inhaled breath of surprise. He used the excuse of Hakkai getting into the driver's seat to glance at her profile and was even more surprised to see that she didn't look at all bitter about the arrangement, like it had been forced on her. He shook his head as Hakkai shifted gears and peeled around in a sharply cranked out donut through the sand, completely baffled by her seeming change in mood. Women... they were all insane!

The drive back to where the dragons had been left was entirely too short for his liking. Just has he'd been relaxing into the feel of her shoulder pressed to his, Hakkai ws slamming on the breaks and causing all of them to hold on for dear life. That homicidal son of a bitch... Glowering at the cheerful laugh and proclaimation of, "Here we are!", Sanzo sat up from where he'd almost slid down into the floor board and watched as the back seat passengers were unloaded. The two men were wincing and touching their wounds carefully after being tossed around like rag dolls. Yaone was out quickly and inquiring immediately if they were still too hurt to fly. Both reassured her they were fine before Kougaiji turned to give them a look of grudging respect.

"While I appreciate your assistance to me and mine more than simple words can express, this doesn't change anything," he said, following the same routine as the other times they'd bailed his ass out of trouble. "The next time you see us, we _will_ be enemies again."

Gojyo scoffed and waved a lazy hand in their direction. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. If your ego's satisfied now, you mind if we get going? I haven't had a decent drink in far too long. Yaone, a pleasure to see you. Start checking into nursing homes for the old guy, okay? You _really_ don't wanna be responsible for old people shit."

Yaone blushed a little at the compliment as a quickly restrained smile tried to sneak out. "Thanks for the tip," she murmured, ignoring the shocked look Dokugakuji shot her.

"Save yourselves a world of hurt and get that boy fixed ASAP," Dokugakuji called back with a final amused grin. Goku fell to howling with laughter, which soon turned to howls of pain as he soon found himself headlocked with a kappa's knuckles rubbing away at his scalp.

Hakkai gunned the engine a little and called warmly, "Do try and take care of yourselves. Please, be careful flying back."

Just as Hakkai threw the Jeep into first, Sanzo finally managed to make brief eye contact with Yaone. She gave him a faint, sad smile before the Jeep lurched forward and the three of them disappeared in a cloud of sand and exhaust. Everyone was oddly quiet in the abscence of their enemies, and Sanzo was eternally grateful to whatever god or goddess was responsible for it.

(Though she had absolutely nothing to do with the somber mood, a certain merciful goddess humbly added it to her growing pile of praises from the foursome anyway. Hey, a girl would take what she could get, right?)

He needed the quiet to think for himself about everything that was going on. Like, what would he do if Yaone decided she was through with him? Gods... the chill that thought sent down his spine almost made him sick to his stomach. She couldn't leave him, not now. Somehow, she'd broken through every defense he had and went from being Kougaiji's loyal apothecary to someone he almost wanted to say he needed. But that would be stupid. He didn't need anyone, not really. Yes, he _wanted_ her, but that was completely different than needing her. And yet... it wasn't enough. It fell short of the mark in describing what it was he required of her. Needing implied being bound by something, tied to it so completely that the very functions of living meant that thing. It went against everything he'd ever believed in, everything his master had ever taught him, to say he needed Yaone. If she were to choose to end it... he would survive. He wouldn't be the same, nor would he be as complete as he felt when she was with him, but it wouldn't be the end of him. However, at the same time he just couldn't wrap his brain around the possibility of never seeing her again. The very idea just didn't sit well with him at all.

Lighting a cigarette to ease his mounting frustrations over his circling thoughts, Sanzo shook his head and leaned back into the seat in preparation of another long day of driving. Damn it all... he was getting the impression that this was one of those things he'd have to deal with when and if it happened. No amount of planning or hypothesizing in advance would do him any good. If anything, it would only succeed in giving him a stress ulcer, and those were _not_ fun in the least. Until the time she came to a conclusion about what she was going to do, he would have to sit tight and try not to think about it too much. He just hoped she didn't take _too_ long in deciding.

* * *

Yaone dropped her empty bag onto one of her laboratory tables, sighing as she fought the urge to just take a seat on the stool and drop her head to the rubbery surface for a quick nap, like she'd done countless times before. She'd only managed a couple of hours of real sleep, near the early morning hours, and the effect of being worn out from battle, strained emotions and no sleep were beginning to make her eyes burn. She knew she was pretty far gone when she had to squint in order to see straight. Thank God the dragon was smart enough to simply follow the other two! Once they'd reached Houtu Castle, Kougaiji had insisted on walking on his own power, refusing any aid that was directed at him. He wanted to appear strong since he knew any sign of weakness would be exploited against him at this point in the game. They weren't the only ones who knew that a majority of those looking to be recruited were signing up for 'Lord Kougaiji's army'. Not that there was any difference in the army or anything. It was just the fact that they were assigning their loyalties to Kougaiji instead of Gyumaoh that made things more risky. While she appreciated their show of support for her lord, she really wished they wouldn't do that. Kougaiji's position in Houtu Castle was edgy enough as it was. He didn't need accusations of him starting an uprising for power thrown on top of things.

Her eyes ran over her lab equipment to inspect for anything having been moved out of place in her abscence, a force of habit she'd adopted from a few break-ins and more mischief from Lirin than she could actually count. Nothing looked out of place on first glance, but a more thorough cataloguing of materials would have to be done when she could actually focus on it. She just wanted to drop off the empty saddlebags that had housed her explosives and herbs before going to her room for a bath, perhaps a little wine and then bed. The bath and bed had been her idea. The wine had been Dokugakuji's, and after he mentioned it she thought it was a damned fine idea. Alcohol wasn't her prefered choice for relaxing the nervous system, but it would do in a pinch. Besides, she really was too exhausted to manage even a simple potion.

With those pleasant things to look forward to, Yaone left her lab, locking the door behind herself, and began the trudge back to her own room. It normally wasn't that far a walk, but stairs plus an aching body equaled a great deal of effort she didn't necessarily have. Aside from his initial use of chi, she'd insisted that Hakkai tend her lord and friend first, and by the time he managed to get to her he was just as wiped out. It had taken quite a bit of gentle arguing to pursuade him she was fine and that she didn't want him to risk burning out over a few cuts and scrapes. He'd finally given in, reluctant but also thankful at the same time, before stretching out on the ground to rest a little. Now, though... she was beginning to wish she hadn't fought so hard to keep him from relieving the pains.

She was not new to the rigors of battle, but every muscle in her body felt abused beyond belief from that last fight. Or maybe it was some of her mental weariness translating itself physically. Who knew? She didn't really didn't care what it was so long as it was eased as quickly as possible. There was simply too much that needed her consideration and time to be stuck nursinga depleted body. One of those things, unfortunately, was what to do about Sanzo. He was giving her the time she needed, and she appreciated that consideration on his part. Normally, he was the type of man who liked things decided quickly and clearly. She had thought for certain he would have said he wanted an answer right then and there.

Now that she had her time... what was she going to do? Everything was up to her, and she didn't like being in a position of absolute power. Their relationship was entirely in her hands now. No pressure... right? Yaone shook her head as the headache throbbed into a full out migraine that made her pause to rub her eyes as she walked down the hall. When it faded enough for her to see straight, she continued on, chewing her lower lip in nervous thought. Out of all the complications she could have forseen for them, this had never figured into any of the equations. Did she stay and hope that perhaps there _was_ a way through the many emotional barriers he had? Or did she stop fighting now and hope that he figured things out on his own? Honestly, it the man was insufferably complex! She'd never met anyone as contradictory as he was. One minute, he was opening up, talking to her about himself. The next... he was shoving her away from him.

The shoving wasn't entirely to keep her out either. This realization had been brought to light during their conversation behind the tree the night prior. It wasn't just letting people into his world that frightened Sanzo. It was the entire aspect of being loved and loving others at the same time. She didn't need him to tell her that he associated love and caring for someone with pain and sorrow. The personnel files detailing his past were evidence enough of the scarring that had undoubtedly occurred. In a way, his keeping everyone out was rather touching. He didn't want anyone to feel what he'd felt back then should he die on them. He was protecting people from something he considered dangerous. A noble gesture... but a frustrating one when all she wanted was to just love him.

Besides, the sword cut both ways. The act itself wasn't entirely without personal gain. If there was no one to care for him, then Sanzo didn't have anyone to care for in return. He never would have to face the horror of losing what he loved again. This was one of the reasons why she hesitated ending it with him. If she left him now, what would that do to him? She was certain, despite all his intentions and plans, that he did care for her very much. Would leaving him just reaffirm his belief that nothing good can come from loving someone? Would he close himself even more from those around him? It would kill poor Goku if Sanzo did that! It was such an awful possibility for her to risk...

... But what if she stayed and everything remained the same? What if he constantly kept trying to find ways to keep her out, to keep the fence between them up? She really wasn't sure she could continue like that, knowing that no matter how hard she tried she was never going to reach him. And hadn't she said that she was sick of doing all the reaching out? That she wanted _him_ to reach out to _her_ for once? Her gut told her that if she told him everything was fine then nothing would be achieved. Her heart was telling her if she left him, something inside him would snap completely. Whether it snapped and reformed into something stronger was a complete mystery.

Sighing, Yaone twisted the knob of her door and shoved it open, not even pausing to turn on the lights as she began to strip on her way to the bathroom. Her outer tunic hit the floor and was joined by her boots as she toed them off, her gloves falling in a trail after them that beelined for the dim grey outline of her bathroom door. She could have the wine later, right then she just needed to-

"You should really learn to check your room before disrobing, Yaone."

Yaone spun around with a startled gasp, her hand going for the empty pouch of explosives out of reflex at the sound of someone else's voice in the room. She relaxed heavily, her knees coming close to giving out under her, as Kougaiji moved into the dim light of early evening coming through her window. "Lord Kougaiji... is there something you needed?" she asked a little breathlessly, her heart beating eratically. Why did this man seem to delight in scaring her half out of her wits? Was it really such a hard thing to make his presence known in a more conventional fashion?

Kougaiji bit back a little smile at her obvious start. carefully keeping his eyes averted from the revealing leather barely covering her breasts. "Actually... I was wondering if we might talk for a bit. Obviously, though, you were preparing for, uh..."

"...A bath," she finished for him, hoping all the while she wasn't going to have to deal with _his_ feelings right then and there. She didn't want to hurt him by rejecting him... but she had enough going on with herself and her boyfriend. She didn't have to room for her employer as well.

"Yes... of course, you'd want to get cleaned up. I'll just go and-,"

"It can wait, my lord. What did you want to talk about?" Her mind was screaming a protest over the lie, but her duties to her lord came first and foremost. She didn't pick up the clothing she'd already removed, but she did try and tug the top a little more modestly on herself. Motioning to the small table set up by the window, she opened the cabinet where she kept a small selection of wine and pulled out the current bottle she had started a week or so ago. She hesitated when she saw it was a red wine, knowing Kougaiji wasn't the biggest fan of the reds. Yaone returned it and selected a nice, crisp white instead, gritting her teeth as the compulsive side of her demanded she finish the opened one first. "Are you wounds bothering you?"

"No, they're fine. Thank you for asking. And you?"

"Well enough. I wasn't shot like you and Doku were. It was fortunate though that Hakkai was available to help. I don't think I could have managed the two of you on my own." The cork popped lightly as she twisted the corkscrew free. The wine bubbled just a little as she poured two glasses and carried them over to the table. It was the truth, too, that she couldn't have managed. They were both so hurt... she would have been forced to choose which one to save before the other. Yet another decision she didn't want to make, she thought as a bitter little frown formed on her lips briefly before quickly fading away as she sat across from Kougaiji.

Kougaiji took the wine with a little nod of thanks as a sheepish expression crossed his face. "About that... I think we need to have a little honesty between us."

Yaone nearly dropped her glass in shock. Honesty... what did he mean? "My lord, I've always been honest with you," she said quickly, horror churning her stomach into knots. With the exception of seeing Sanzo, that is... but technically, it wasn't a lie because he'd never asked nor specifically forbade her from seeing him.

His eyes closed briefly and his jaw tightened as if struggling through something that wasn't entirely pleasant to chew on. "I meant me, Yaone. I need to be honest with you."

Oh, God... he _was_ going to lay the emotional burden on her! Yaone forced a gulp of wine passed the lump in her throat and fought the urge to just leave the room right then and there.

"The thing is, Yaone," Kougaiji continued, twirling the glass stem between his fingers in a nervous gesture. "I've thought for a while that perhaps there was more to you and Cho Hakkai than was... shall we say... of a strictly friends nature. It's been eating at me for a while to think that perhaps you felt something deeper for him."

"Lord Kougaiji, I don't-"

"I know you don't. I also know that those feelings... are never going to be directed at me. Am I right?"

Yaone couldn't meet the raw honesty in his eyes. She turned her gaze down to the chipped varnish on the table as she felt a heated blush crawl up her throat and into her cheeks. "If we'd had this conversation almost a year and a half ago, my lord, it just well might have been directed at you," she answered softly. This was _not_ the conversation she'd been expecting, and she wasn't entirely certain where it was going to go. She could feel a cold sweat covering her skin as she sat and struggled not to fidget under his gaze.

Kougaiji sighed, the sound coming out almost sadly from his lips, and leaned back in his chair as he covered his eyes with one hand. "Dokugakuji was right. I hesitated... and I lost the chance to even try," he muttered, his tone taking on one of anger. She recognized the anger as being directed at himself and felt an instant pang of guilt that she was the cause of it.

Leaning forward, she touched the back of his hand before carefully pulling it away from his eyes to hold in her own. His eyes betrayed his emotions easily, as they always had, and allowed her to see clearly the bitterness he was feeling at that moment. "I don't think we ever stood a chance anyway, Lord Kougaiji. There's just... so much risk involved. For both of us. They're already holding your mother ransom. Just think about what would have happened had they found out about us?"

He nodded slowly, curving his fingers around hers and rubbing gently. "The risk is the same one you took when you started seeing Genjyo Sanzo though. If anyone had found out-,"

"-It would have reflected only on me, not you. And Sanzo wouldn't have caved under any attempt to use me as a hostage. If anything, it would more than likely annoy him to the point of attacking harder than ever."

She earned a little smile for her correct depiction of the monk's action, which helped to stop her stomach's wild acrobatics. "It never bothered you that he could end up killing you?"

Slowly, she took a deep breath and let it out, glancing down at their hands as she gathered herself to answer him. "It did, and it still does a bit. But... we both knew there was a very good possibility of that fact. Ours was-is- a rather complicated arrangement. Together, we're not enemies. Apart, and we'll do everything we can to succeed. My lord, how did... how did you find out? Did Hakkai say something?"

"Not directly. I only figured it out after thinking about it though. I can't say as I'm at all pleased with this discovery."

"I understand, my lord. Is my resignation in order?"

Kougaiji's hand tightened around hers firmly as he leaned forward across the table and closer to her. "And lose a perfectly capably apothecary? I think not. I'm not going to waste my time breaking in a new one when you're already up to par. All I'm saying is... it's a matter of pride, I suppose. Cho Hakkai was irritating, but a fairly respectable man. Genjyo Sanzo... he's arrogant."

"Undoubtedly."

"His temper is unbelieveable."

"Not toward me."

"He's the very definition of an asshole."

"I'm not arguing with you, Lord Kougaiji."

Kougaiji sat back in his chair again, his eyes narrowing as he studied her closely. "But you love him anyway."

Yaone smiled softly and nodded. "I do."

He muttered something she didn't quite catch but knew wasn't at all favorable toward the monk. "Someone with a fair bit of knowledge told me that, if you loved someone, you would want them to be happy. No matter what it was that made them happy." He paused as he stood slowly, coming around to her side of the table as she did the same. He surprised her by placing a light kiss to her cheek, one hand caressing the other cheek gently before cupping her jaw. Before their conversation, she would have been prepared to push him back from the gesture, but Kougaiji was an honest man. When he said he wanted her to be happy, he meant that and he wouldn't do anything to ruin that chance for her. It was amazingly sweet, but she couldn't help feeling a little upset with herself for not being able to return his love. Kougaiji deserved that from someone. He drew back enough to look her in the eyes, his own struggling to swallow back the open emotion crossing through them. "I love you, Yaone. And it's for that reason I'm giving you permission to continue seeing the monk... if it makes you happy. The secret stays here."

Kougaiji turned and left her with those words, pausing briefly to look back from the doorway before the solid wood blocked him from view. Yaone's fingertips rubbed together anxiously as the door clicked shut, leaving her once again with her confused thoughts and his surprising words ringing through her ears. Kougaiji had no problem with her seeing Sanzo... if it made her happy.

The question was; which option, to stay with Sanzo and try to work through his issues or leave him in the hopes that he would grow by learning from what he lost, would be the best for them? Muttering an angry, "shit," under her breath, Yaone stripped the rest of her clothing off in angry movements and went into the bathroom to wash up and try to at least relax some of her being. God only knew she probably wouldn't get any sleep this night either, she might as well make her body as comfortable as possible. Maybe, by some small miracle of steam and hot water, the answer over what to do would come to her.

* * *

AUTHOR'S WARNING: The chapter after this one will officially be the LAST chapter to the fic. I will be posting an epilogue to it, though, and do have some future SanzoxYaone projects. One is a completely new fic for them... and the other is a continuation of Enemies. The continuation will ONLY be posted on my Live Journal account, since it's really just a whimsy side project and nothing new and exciting. A thousand thanks to Red Brunja for beta reading this chapter and pointing out the stuff that didn't sound kosher. 


	45. Chapter 45

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT FOR THE END OF RELOAD VOLUME SIX (MANGA)

"That crab place was AWESOME! An' it was all you can eat, too!" Goku crowed, rubbing his stomach with a gluttonous zeal. Normally, the amount of noise would have driven Sanzo to the point of breaking out the fan, but he was honestly too distracted with his own thoughts to give a damn. There were more important things than smacking at a stuffed monkey. For instance, the fact that it had already been three days since they'd left Kougaiji and his entourage in the desert and he _still_ hadn't seen or heard word from Yaone. He'd wanted to compromise, give her the time she said she needed... but he hadn't expect her to take _this_ long. Was it really such a hard decision to make? Goddamn that woman was driving him insane! "I had steamed crabs an' broiled crabs an' crab rangoon an'-" Goku continued as they walked down the hall to their room.

"-And crabs... we know already, dipshit! Or were you too busy stuffing your face to notice we were there with you?" Gojyo demanded with a shove to the back of Goku's head. Sanzo glared over his shoulder when the shove forced Goku into bumping into him. Okay, _that_ was more distracting that any thoughts about Yaone. If those two idiots didn't watch out...

Scowling, Goku shoved the kappa back and snarled, "Quit shovin' me, ass-face! I was just sayin' that Shanghai crabs're really good!"

"And the entire restaurant could see how hot you were for them. Dude, you know you'll be able to eat more if you keep it in your mouth," Gojyo continued, his crimson eyes flickering wickedly with amusement. Sanzo grit his teeth as the edges of a migraine began to come on. Son of a bitch, this was turning into another shitty night!

"I WAS keepin' it in my mouth! An' if you'd stop stealin' stuff from my plate, I coulda eaten MORE crabs!"

"And I doubt you know the difference between Shanghai crabs and regular old crabs with the way you vacuumed them down."

"Oh, you're a fine one to talk about table manners, Gojyo," Hakkai laughed, jumping in for a change to help Goku out. He didn't care which side the healer was on, just so long as he got one of them to shut up. Preferable Gojyo. Hakkai was really good at getting Gojyo to shut up.

"Hey, compared to the monkey I'm the picture of table manners," Gojyo shot back with a fierce scowl. "I put my napkin in my lap, I use UTENSILS," this came with another shove, which Goku instantly returned. Sanzo was about two seconds away from showing them another use for chopsticks. "I don't spray food everywhere-"

"Maybe we can even teach you how to chew next time," Sanzo finished sarcastically a little smirk crossing his lips as Gojyo spluttered and Goku howled with laughter. He would have waited for Hakkai to dish out something nice and quippy, but his headache was beginning to demand immediate action. He dug the key out of his sleeve and fit it to the keyhole on their door, twisting it hard to get the old lock to open. It clicked harshly after a little more encouragement, allowing him to twist the knob easily.

"I know you weren't directing that at me, monk," Gojyo muttered as the door began to open. Sanzo tossed a smirk back over his shoulder at the red head's indignance before turning to enter the room. He stopped midstep and knew that a wide, gaping look was on his face when he got a glimpse inside their room. Holy, fucking...

"My, my... welcome back, y'all!"

The tension in the three behind him was so thick he could almost feel it like a weight on his back. Not caring whom his elbow caught and whose foot got trampled, he shoved his way back out of the room and slammed the door shut. "What the fuck is he doing in there?" Sanzo hissed in a whisper to Hakkai as he whirled around on the green-eyed man rubbing his chest sullenly. Apparently, that was who got the wrath of his elbow back peddling from a stalker bishop, who was drinking to boot. The bastard had better not be drinking _their_ alcohol!

"How should I know? You're acting as if _I_ would give His Holiness the key," Hakkai hissed back, his eyes darkening angrily. "I can't believe you would suggest something like that!"

"I didn't suggest a damn thing, genius! I was asking how the _fuck_ he got in there," he snarled. After what had happened in the desert, Bishop Hazel Grosse and his man bitch Gat were the _last_ people he wanted to see. That son of a bitch had been one trigger pull away from killing Yaone. They both needed to be hurt severely for that. And killed after suffering for however long it took for him to get sick of their screaming.

"Y'all can't ignore me once I've seen ya," the bishop called through the door. "And it's awful rude to talk about a fella when he can hear you." All four of them cringed at the comment. Smarmy bastard...

"What are we gonna do?" Gojyo whispered hoarsely. "He's in our room and... and _drinking_! What the fuck kinda sicko does that?"

"Maybe he just got lost on his way to his own room?" Goku suggested hopefully, yelping when he head got smacked three times. Sanzo shook his head at his charge's simplistic view of the world, half wishing he could be in that blissful state of ignorance as well. "Ow... Hakkai! You hit me, too!" Goku shouted, glowering at the taller man.

"I'm sorry, Goku, but that was a particularly silly thing to say. Bishop Grosse, I'm certain, did _not_ get lost and stumble by chance into our room," Hakkai answered grimly.

"Well, ya said he was drinkin'," the boy muttered in his own defense.

"Are y'all gonna have a slumber party in the hallway?" Hazel's cheery voice cut in. "Sounds fun but it might be kind of awkward for the other guests comin' and goin'." The very mention of a slumber party made Sanzo want to do something painful to himself. Slumber party... what the hell kind of nut job were they dealing with?

"What are we gonna do?" Gojyo hissed again, eyes darting desperately to Hakkai to come up with a genius plan. They were all grouped together in the hallway, leaning in and talking hushed as if planning some massive attack. Goku, eyes round and hopeful, looked to Hakkai as well. Sanzo waited quietly on the off chance that Hakkai actually _did_ have a brilliant plan. Judging by the blankly shocked look on their healer's face, Hakkai didn't have a damn clue as to how to handle this. Shit!

Finally, Sanzo stood straight from the huddle, his eyes narrowing angrily toward the door. Screw this, he wasn't waiting around for some damned miracle (like a big fucking rock or something) to come crashing down and kill the bishop. He wanted his fresh smokes, some aspirin and the bed _he_ paid for. "What the hell are we doing out here?" he snarled. "It's _our _fucking room!" Before anyone else could stop him, Sanzo jerked the door open and stormed inside, glaring at the bishop on his way to one of the free beds. He flopped down on it, putting his back to the wall so he could see their unwanted guests, and grabbed the unopened cigarettes on the bedside table. He popped one out and lit it, deciding to hold off on the medicine until after their 'guests' had left. No need letting those two know he had a migraine that could kill an elephant.

Goku and Gojyo shared a glance, both of them gulping visibly as Hakkai took a deep, calming breath and followed the monk in. He took a spot against the wall between the beds where the bishop and the monk sat, a huge fake smile plastered across his face. Sanzo could almost feel the iciness radiating off the other man. "My, what a surprise to see you here, Bishop Grosse! I thought we'd left you for good back where you had an innocent woman under gunpoint."

Hazel smiled sweetly as his eyes flickered briefly to Sanzo before returning to Hakkai's frozen happy face. Sanzo suppressed the shudder that wanted to slide down his spine at those two. Down right creepy is what they were. "I do apologize, but she didn't seem so innocent to me. What kind of decent woman lobs a bomb at a couple fellows just passin' through? But anyway," he continued, ignoring the fact that Sanzo had just snapped through his cigarette filter and was quickly beating out the lit end from catching his robes on fire. That cock sucking, motherfucker... he kept his seething to himself, but it was by sheer will power alone. He knew damn well the bishop was trying to get a rise out of him, but it didn't make it any easier to hear how he simply dismissed the fact that he'd almost killed Yaone. It took everything he had to keep his hands from shaking with rage as he lit a fresh cigarette, tossing the broken one into the tray with a disgusted grunt. "We did catch up to y'all rather fast. Y'all didn't cross _over_ the mountains, did you? Such a powerful waste of time that was! Y'all could have been well on your way out of here by now."

"Thanks for the advice we never asked for, fruit cake," Gojyo growled, stomping into the room angrily. Goku followed him quickly, eyes darting upward to where Gat stood by the door. Sanzo arched a brow as the big man offered a trace of a smile and Goku glared back. Obviously, the honeymoon was over. It did relieve some of his trepidation over how his charge would handle Yaone being around for a while. The kid was clearly pissed over what had happened. Good. He didn't want to be stuck choosing between his monkey and his girlfriend. There was just something altogether wrong about that. "Anyway, this room's plenty small enough without your ass in it!"

"Goodness!" Hazel exclaimed, his eyes blinking in round surprise at his cold reception. "Y'all are actin' like I broke the law for defendin' myself! Was I supposed to just stand there while Miss Youkai blew me up?"

"Yes," Goku and Gojyo both muttered. Sanzo silently agreed with them on that account. The little smile Hakkai wore said he agreed, too. Shit, they were all thinking the same way. It better not become a habit, or he'd have to kill himself. Damned stupidity... he _knew_ it was contagious!

"Well, that's just plain crazy," Hazel continued with a pleasant laugh and a sip of wine. Thank the gods it wasn't their stash. "Why would a fellow just stand still while a trol- excuse me, woman-," the sheepish face didn't fool Sanzo one bit into thinking the slip up was an innocent mistake, causing him to very nearly bite through his filter with barely controlled outrage, "blows him up? Only a man without a lick of wits would do that!"

"Only sociopaths sneak into other people's rooms to drink," he sneered back, taking a small measure of pride in the startled blink his comment earned him from the bishop. What, like he'd sit back and let some dick with a man-bitch insult his girlfriend? Please!

"Yeah, an' just how'd you get in here anyway?" Goku pounced, for once asking a fairly relevant question to the conversation.

Hazel lowered his lashes coyly, a self-satisfied smirk curve his lips as he swirled his wine idly. "Oh, this 'n' that. I'm kind of a celebrity in these parts, you might say. Y'all must've noticed I've been here before?"

"Well, praise the gods," Gojyo exclaimed sarcastically, waving his cigarette-toting hand dramatically in the air. "The bishop's back in business, carrying on with his creepy-assed holy work!"

"Mercy," the bishop exclaimed with a terribly hurt expression on his face. Awww... poor baby. "Y'all certainly do know how to hurt a fella's feelin's. Of course... If y'all are jealous, I guess that means y'all aren't exactly popular?"

"What did you say, you femmy prick?" the kappa snarled fiercely. The only thing that kept him from completing the lunge toward the bishop was Hakkai quickly placing a restraining hand on his shoulder. A good thing, too, considering this town had a whole shit load of bishop-zombies walking around. Sanzo may have paid for the room, but they were staying there under Hazel's good graces. That fact absolutely pissed him the hell off.

"Calm down, Gojyo," Hakkai murmured before directing his attention toward Hazel. The pale man continued to sit with his usual angelic smile as he watched the scene unfold. "We did notice that the yellow eyed population was rather high in these parts, but we thought perhaps this time it wasn't your doing."

"Oh, and why's that, Mr. Spectacles?"

"Because we haven't been attacked yet for being youkai," Hakkai said with a very calculated, shrewd glare to his eyes. Sanzo smirked and flicked some ash away from his cigarette, content to let Hakkai play mean with the good bishop. Hakkai didn't get the opportunity to be catty too often, but it was pure gold when he did.

"Well, praise the Lord," Hazel exclaimed, casting a glance in Gojyo's direction to make certain the deft mockery of the red head's words wasn't lost. It wasn't, and it earned the holy man a one-fingered response. "It would be an _awful_ inconvenience if y'all didn't get your beauty sleep!"

"Speaking of," Hakkai said loudly over Gojyo's continued growls of outrage. "We'd appreciate it if you held off on fighting dirty in order for us to catch that beauty sleep."

Hazel gave Hakkai wide, innocent eyes and lifted eyebrows at the statement. Sanzo rolled his eyes and stubbed out his cigarette harshly in the tray. That man had a lousy poker face. "I'm not sure I understand what you're suggestin' there, Mr. Spectacles."

"I suppose it's simply that you lack the _ability_ to understand," he answered with a laugh that made a chill run down the monk's spine. Damn it... how did Hakkai manage to make cheerful so cold?

"That's such a cruel thing to say," Hazel chided with a laugh that rivaled Hakkai's. The two of them in a room holding a conversation ranked up there on the Scary As Hell scale. He had to stop this before it got even colder in the room. He didn't want to fall asleep and wake up with frostbite. "I'm truly somewhat shocked!"

Before Hakkai could come back with something quippy, Sanzo interrupted him. He wanted to try and sleep (ha, like _that_ was possible when he was so wound up over Yaone), and sleep wasn't conducive with the creepy bishop in their room. "Why did you come back, anyway? I thought you were going to take your holy mission elsewhere." There was just enough of a sneer to the 'holy mission' part to make it obvious he didn't agree at all with the bishop's means of fixing the calamity. He especially didn't now, after the dick had tried to kill his girlfriend.

"Well," the bishop said with a faint blush to his pale cheeks and a flirtatious lowering of lashes. "I was hopin' I might see you again, Mr. Sanzo. I've missed your company fiercely, y know."

Sanzo's back snapped upright completely as his teeth ground together hard. What the... did he just... that son of a bitch did NOT just hit on him! Vaguely through his speechless outrage, he heard Goku mutter to Gojyo, "Did he just hit on Sanzo? Cuz that's what it sounded like to me." The kappa very wisely (for a change) hushed the kid up before Sanzo could direct his anger toward him. His hand was already diving inside his robes for his gun. There was no way the fruitcake was leaving the room alive now! The man had already made it onto his hit list for gunning for Yaone, but hitting on him moved him to the front of the class.

Hazel seemed to sense the danger he was trampling into and held up one hand as if to ward off a blow, his gaze flickering a little nervously toward Sanzo's hand. Good. Let the asshole sweat a little before he popped a bullet between his pale blue eyes. "Easy there, Mr. Sanzo! I was just teasin' you. Actually, to be honest, I'm here lookin' for a youkai. Right mean son of a bitch, too. I heard he was comin' this way and I wanted to catch him."

"What'll ya do when ya catch him?" Goku asked, glancing once at Sanzo for permission before climbing up onto the monk's bed to sit next to him. Sanzo couldn't help but note with a surge of pride that the boy had remembered to keep some distance between their bodies, in case he had to reach for his gun. A year ago, Goku wouldn't have been conscious of doing that, even after years of beating it into his thick skull. It was yet another sign that the boy was growing up, and it surprisingly didn't bother him as much as he would have thought.

Sighing heavily and giving Goku a very solemn face that for once almost looked sincere, he said, "Well, if this monster is as dangerous as rumor has it, I'll probably have to kill it, little fella. Lettin' a mad dog run loose in the streets is just beggin' for trouble."

"Then how 'bout you go do your dog catching thing and let us handle the real problems," Gojyo countered with a pointed glance toward the door.

Hazel chuckled, setting his now empty wine glass on the table next to the bed he was sitting on, but he made no further attempts to leave their room. "You sure do have a quick sense of humor, Mr. Red! Must be a real chuckle travelin' with him, Mr. Sanzo."

"Yeah. It's fucking peachy," Sanzo muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and glowering at the paler man. "You can leave now."

"But don't you think it makes more sense to stay together, what with that big, nasty demon comin' this way?"

"No. Now get out."

Hazel sighed dramatically and collected his hat from the bedpost. "Are y'all sure about this? There's a better safety in numbers, after all."

"We're very certain," Hakkai confirmed firmly, folding his arms across his chest and stepping away from the wall he was leaning against to indicate the bishop should start moving toward the door. "Sharing a small space with you, bishop, is no safer than carrying a loaded gun in our pocket.

"Mercy, but that was just plain cruel! Y'all aren't still mad over that incident with Miss Youkai are ya?"

"An' so what if we are?" Goku demanded with a fierce glare. "You coulda killed her, y'know. An' her name's Yaone, not Miss Youkai!" Sanzo hid his smile behind his hand as he took a hit from his cigarette, a surprising flare of pride coming out at his charge's words. He'd have to find a meat bun stand before they left town in the morning. The kid definitely deserved some kind of treat.

Hazel shrugged away the reminder that the woman he was talking about actually had a name and identity, his blue eyes cooling in thoughtful contemplation. "Well, y'all no how terrible I am with names," he said with a smile that did nothing to warm that icy gaze.

"We've noticed. You seem to remember Sanzo's name pretty well," Hakkai murmured with a trace of warmth to his voice that said he was close to losing his patience. "Though, forgetting a name doesn't excuse attempted murder."

"Y'know... I was under the impression that y'all weren't exactly friends with this prince fella," the bishop commented, his features screwing into a confused frown as he tapped his lower lip as if thinking back over a past conversation. Sanzo's eyes narrowed as he sensed yet another barb being prepared toward Yaone. Just what the fuck did this asshole care who he slept with? It wasn't any of the bishop's goddamn business! "So really, it seems awful strange to me that y'all would put forth _so_ _much_ effort to save an enemy. Especially you, Mr. Sanzo. I thought ya weren't going to get involved."

Shrugging and blowing a thin line of smoke in the other man's direction, he said coldly, "Change of plans."

"A rather big change of plans, though," the bishop chuckled. The pleasant sound didn't quite carry up to his eyes though, leaving them crystalline and shrewdly cold. "Is she special to one of y'all?"

"I hardly see why that's any of your concern, Mr. Grosse," Hakkai stepped in immediately, his face set in the hard lines that said he was beyond pissed.

"I'm just tryin' to figure out why y'all seemed so fixated on her and not the two bleedin' to death in the sand," Hazel countered, delicately swirling his wine around in the glass. "The only reason I can figure why y'all jumped in to help is because one of y'all, sadly, fell victim to her wiles. I didn't think y'all would be so easily swayed by the flesh. I suppose I figured wrong."

"The only thing you're figuring wrong, Mr. Grosse, is the nature of Miss Yaone's character. She behaves far more nobly than quite a few humans I can name." Sanzo added a trip to the bookstore to his list of things to do before leaving. He couldn't have said it better himself, and Hakkai's new found bluntness was definitely better than the way _he_ wanted to handle the insults of his girlfriend. His way involved blood, possibly even death... and that wouldn't be good in a town full of resurrected puppets.

"Well, that's a might relievin' to hear," the pale man exclaimed with a sunshine-and-daisies smile. "But, I do hope none of y'all truly _are_ beddin' the enemy. That'd be a nasty conflict of interest with your mission, don't ya think?"

Sanzo shifted on the bed, tapping ash into the tray by his elbow as he pinned the other man with a cold glare. He didn't like the way the bastard was poking around at Yaone, and he certainly didn't like having his love life dissected in front of everyone else in the room. "If anyone," he said slowly, emphasizing the 'anyone' in a bid to end the interrogation as well as the suspicion in one blow. "In this group does something to fuck this mission up... I'll kill them." There! Not a lie technically since Yaone wasn't doing anything really to fuck up their mission via her relationship with him, yet it was vague enough to hopefully end the discussion.

He should have known better than to think it would simply stop there. Hazel, effecting a confused, curious demeanor, cocked his head to the side and said, "So, if no one in your group is foolish enough to be seein' her, then why such an infatuation with the creature?"

Sanzo's glare went from cold to deadly as knowing blue eyes fixed on him, almost daring him to deny his relationship with Yaone. He arched a brow, lips quirking into a slow answering smirk. Like he was going to say shit to this pansy-prick! His relationship with Yaone had nothing to do with a single damn person in this room. Except for maybe Goku, but that was pushing it. "The only one who keeps bringing her up is you," he commented as he lit a fresh cigarette, keeping his eyes trained on the blues ones across the way. The look in those too-pale eyes had gone from challenging to suspicious as he spoke. "If it weren't for your boyfriend in the corner over there, I'd say you had a thing for her."

Gojyo snickered at the commented while Goku whipped his head around to gape in shock. Hakkai just barely managed to turn his own laughter into a politely covered cough as Hazel's cheeks turned a rosy indignant shade. "Mr. Sanzo, don't you think that was a might bit uncalled for?" the bishop asked through a tight smile. It did wonders to improve the monk's spirits to see how badly he'd rattled the other man's cage. Three cheers for sweet revenge. "To suggest somethin' so crass seems a bit beneath you. I'm a man of faith, and I _do_ take the vows I made most seriously." The slighter man took a breath and let out a lightly shaky laugh that did nothing to break the mounting tension in the room. "Not that I can understand why a fella would _want_ to stoop so low as to sleep with a she-demon. I haven't been in these parts very long, but the human women would seem to be enough to keep a healthy man thoroughly happy."

The kappa snorted, a crooked, leering smile forming as he directed a look filled with the promise of sex toward the bishop. Hazel's back stiffened a little under that gaze, his own smile slipping a couple notches at the look. "Trust me, _all_ the ladies of Shangri-La are good at keeping a healthy man more than happy. If you're really curious just how happy our ladies can make you, there's a brunette downstairs with legs guaranteed to make you wanna stay between them all night long."

"Gojyo," Hakkai admonished, his cheeks burning almost as feverishly as Hazel's. Goku made a disgusted face before flopping onto his side and burying his head under a pillow with a deep, sickened moan. Even though the comment had made their unwanted guest uncomfortable, Sanzo really couldn't allow the pervert to flaunt himself like that without retribution. His fingers were curling around the fan before he even registered the action, and soon the paper was sailing through the air to hit the kappa square in the face.

"OW! You fucking monk, what if that bruised me?"

"Aw, does the poor little kappa really bruise so easily?" Sanzo taunted back.

"The goddamn handle hit me, prick," the red head seethed back. "And don't _ever _call me little again! People can fucking hear you!"

"Really, though, Gojyo, that was unnecessarily crude," Hakkai chided with a stern frown. "Mr. Grosse is most definitely not interested in the desk clerk downstairs."

"You're right there, Mr. Spectacles," Hazel agreed with a beaming, toothy smile. "A true gentleman prefers blondes anyway."

Twice in one night, was the guy masochistic or just fucking nuts?! Sanzo was up and off the bed in an instant, glowering down at the pleasantly smiling bishop. He was hit on two times in one damn evening! He was done bullshitting with this man, and if he couldn't kill the bastard dead (Gat was already maneuvering himself in front of the bishop to take any hits coming his way) then there was no point in the other man staying in their room any longer. "Out," he snapped, pointing at the door. "Leave. Now!"

Hazel, still chuckling, made a gesture as if to calm down the raging monk before him and picked his hat up, dusting it of imaginary dust particles. "You really should learn to take a joke, Mr. Sanzo. You'll be bald by the time you reach thirty if you keep bein' so serious. Well, I guess we'll se y'all in the mornin' then! G'night!"

"Wait... th' mornin'?" Goku demanded, sitting up on the bed with a near horrified look on his face as he hugged his pillow tightly.

The bishop turned in the open doorway and flashed yet another of his dazzling smiles. "Why, yes. The townsfolk prepared a lovely room for us, and we're gonna have a feast big enough to feed a small army. Gat and I would really love it if y'all would join us. The crabs here are to die for, I hear!"

"Go suck your fancy food. We're already stuffed full of crabs," Gojyo declared with an air of arrogance that said he clearly expected the other man to be impressed with this fact.

"Uh-huh! They were awesome Shanghai crabs," Goku chimed in eagerly, bouncing up and down on his knees until Sanzo shot a glare over his shoulder. That was _his_ bed the monkey was jumping on, damn it! He didn't want it to break before he'd had a chance to sleep in it.

Hazel took the comment with a gracious little smile as he settled his hat on his head. "Sounds delicious, but if we're talkin' crabs... king's the only way to go." And with that final comment, he stepped into the hall and shut the door, preventing anyone else from getting another word in.

Snarling, Gojyo jerked the pillow away from Goku and lobbed it at the door. "I freakin' _hate_ that guy!" he exclaimed before digging irritably into his coat pocket for his cigarettes.

"Idiot, that was _my_ pillow you threw," Sanzo muttered, blowing smoke in the kappa's general direction. He walked over to Gojyo's bed, ignoring the suspicious glare he could feel on his back.

"So?"

"So, I'm not sleeping on something your worthless kappa hide touched." He took the bigger of the two pillows off of Gojyo's yet untouched bed and tossed it onto his own.

"Hey! You took the better pillow, asshole!"

"Your point?" He stripped down to his leather and jeans, giving Goku a firm look to tell the boy to get off his bed. Goku was quick to comply, all but falling over himself to get to his own bed. Sitting down, he began to unlace his boots, aware of everyone but Gojyo getting ready to hit the sack.

"My point is... you took the _best_ pillow off of _my_ bed."

"Then you should have thought about that before throwing my pillow onto the floor in the first place." Without a further thought toward the still glowering kappa, he rolled onto his side, tucking his gun within easy reach under his newly acquired pillow and said, "Get the light, Hakkai. I want to leave before the faerie brigade is up in the morning."

"Of course, Sanzo. Gojyo, you can stop glaring at his back now. He's not going to turn around."

Still muttering about his damn pillow, Gojyo walked across to the door. He felt the vibration of the door being jerked open hard through the mattress pressed close to the wall and smirked at the kappa's obvious displeasure. "I'm going to see if that brunette is still downstairs. See you in the morning, Hakkai. Hope you don't sleep well tonight, you shitty monk!"

He didn't need the kappa threatening him with that. He already knew he wasn't going to sleep well, just like he hadn't slept well since his last conversation with Yaone. Time may have been what she said she wanted, but giving it to her was killing him with suspense. There were a few times over the last few days where he'd honestly asked himself if it was worth all the headache and hassle just to see one woman. The answer, surprisingly, had been a very simple one; yes. Yaone was worth it a hundred times over. She was worth every sleepless night, every irritated gritting of his teeth, every single migraine. He hadn't thought this would happen through one dinner with her, but it had and now he didn't think he could see himself returning to the way everything was before she came around. What had started as mild curiosity about the only competent female assassin they'd encountered on their entire trip had turned into something much bigger and deeper than he could have ever imagined. He knew instinctively that he would never find the same level of connection he had with her in anyone else. He didn't want to lose that, and it made his stomach tighten like he was going to be sick just thinking about the possibility that she might decide to end it. If that happened... he wasn't sure what he would do.

He hated waiting but it was all he could do right then. That, and hope to the gods that when Yaone finally came to him it wasn't to say it was over between them. The bad thing was... the gods had a tendency of screwing him up the ass. For once, he hoped they decided to throw a curve ball his way and leave well enough alone. Yaone held just a much of himself that Goku did, and if she left she would be taking it with her. The lights went out and before closing his eyes to try and catch the impossible sleep, Sanzo said a quick, silent prayer to the gods that everything would work out alright between them.

* * *

Yaone's fingers felt like lead as she finished tying the belt around her leather vest, smoothing her hands over material softened from constant wear to make sure it hung neatly. Her stomach was an absolute mess of nerves and she really wished she hadn't swigged the wine down so quickly. She wanted another glass, but flying a dragon drunk was never a safe thing to do. Then again... the wine Kougaiji had sent up when she didn't join him and Dokugakuji for dinner _was_ very nice. Maybe another evening to think about things with the merlot would...

No. This conversation has been avoided long enough. Drinking a bottle of wine and mulling things over one final time wasn't going to change anything. Besides, knowing Sanzo, he probably hadn't slept well since she left. He was the type that wanted to solve a puzzle right then and there, no stepping away to do something else while it remained unsolved. There had been a couple nights where she'd woken up to find the bed empty and him working over a particularly tough sudoku grid by moonlight. There was also the time she'd solved a Rubik cube in three minutes, and he'd spent all night trying to figure out how she'd done it. Oh, he could solve it... just not in three minutes. She'd ended up taking it away from him to get him to bed, which made him sulk so adorably. Naturally, she hadn't told him _that _part.

The memories made her smile as she tugged her boots into place and slowly pulled her cloak over everything. She never would have thought, not even if the gods themselves had told her directly, that she would love the arrogant, sarcastic, short-tempered monk, but she did. Whatever had prompted him into asking her to dinner, she was thankful for. If he hadn't been the one to initiate it, she never would have considered there was more to the man than the cold exterior. Discovering that he _did_ have a sense of humor and that he was actually a very good listener and that he gave as good a conversation as he received had been such wonderful surprises for her. Then... all of this started happening. She supposed it really was too much to ask that their relationship remain untarnished. Some of it was most definitely her fault, and she accepted that as well as apologized for it. A lot of it, though, was due to his extreme emotional hang-ups regarding relationships. She'd known from the start that he was 'damaged goods' but that wasn't enough to keep her from wanting to see him again. Maybe some of it was due to her healer mind-set thinking she could help fix what was broken with him? It would have been a foolish thing to think she could heal scars as deep as the ones he had. She could be there for him, yes, but these wounds were self-inflicted and until he stopped cutting himself with the memories she couldn't do a thing about it.

Yaone realized as she opened the door and fought the urge to vomit due to her nerves, that though she told herself the decision was made she couldn't help the doubtful little voice that contradicted her choice. There were so many, many pros for staying with him... but there were a few major cons that balanced the scales horribly. It wasn't a matter of weighing out the good versus the bad. It was deciding what would be best for _her. _While it was important to consider the feelings of one's partner, one couldn't forget to consider their own as well. Otherwise, the relationship was entirely one sided. She did care very much for and about Sanzo, but she had to think of herself right then and what would make her the happiest.

The walk down the hall to the dragon pens felt like miles under her heavy feet. She'd been near miserable for the last three days, agonizing over what to do. Every time she thought her mind was made up, it would switch again and she'd be back to square one. Even now, when she was about to track him down and settle this, her mind kept throwing out different 'what if' scenarios. What if she broke it off with him? What would he do? What if she stayed and nothing changed between them? Could she be happy like that? God, she'd known relationships were difficult, especially when in one with an enemy, but she hadn't expected it to be this hard!

Yaone nearly jumped out of her skin when a figure turned around a corner, broad shoulders covered in a long sleeved white jacket that stood out against the shadows. Dokugakuji glanced down at her as he fell into step at her shoulder, offering brotherly encouragement without saying a word. Slowly, she relaxed and even gave him a brief smile of gratitude for his solid company as they walked down the hall and out of Houtu Castle together. "You know where to go yet?" he muttered.

She shook her head, adjusting her gloves absently. "I was going to circle back and see if I could pick up the trail from where we last were. I might be gone for a couple days, Doku, but I have to do this for me."

"Hey, no need to explain to me. But, just to save you a little time, I heard a rumor that there's a chance you can find him in Orchha. That's about a three day travel from where we were, so it's probably a good place to start."

Yaone blushed and reached for her friend's hand without looking at him. His long, strong fingers curved around hers and squeezed gently. "Thank you, Doku. I know you don't like this."

Dokugakuji cleared his throat and made an odd noise in his throat before saying grudgingly, "He watched your back out there in the desert. I guess he's not so bad then. Doesn't mean I still don't wanna kick his puny ass for making you cry though."

"Oh, please don't. I'm rather fond of his ass," she teased, smiling as the taller man shook his head and grimaced.

"We're friends and all, Yaone, but I do not wanna hear all that! How about I punch his pretty face instead?"

"Fair enough, I suppose. Doku… I'm nervous."

The swordsman released her hand in favor of draping an arm across her shoulder to squeeze her into a quick hug. "Yeah, I know. Just be safe and do what you think is right, okay? You know no one here is gonna stop you from doing that, even if being happy involves being with _him_."

Yaone stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his tanned cheek, smiling as a faint tracery of blush made its way across his face. "You really are a very dear man, Dokugakuji. You're going to make a girl feel very lucky someday."

"Shit, Yaone, you're just gonna be gone for a day or so! Stop acting like this is the last time we're gonna see each other," he muttered gruffly, but the smile on his face said that her compliment had touched him. "Hurry back, okay? I'm not nearly as patient with Lirin as you are. Might find the girl tied upside down in a tree somewhere if you don't come back."

"Oh, dear! That would certainly teach her not to do that to her dragon. Maybe I _should_ take a week or two off…"

"Don't you dare! Now, get outta here before I change my mind and haul your ass back inside."

With a final smile to the swordsman, Yaone went into the pen and found her dragon. Someone had been kind enough to pack her saddlebags for her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Dokugakuji as he headed back for the castle and felt a flare of warmth for the man. Obviously, this was why he was up at this hour of the night. He'd known instinctively that she'd be leaving to see Sanzo tonight and had done what he could to help her get ready. Taking a shaky breath and releasing it slowly to calm herself, she saddled her dragon, slung her full bags over it and climbed on top of the grumpy dragon. Orchha is where he'd said to start. Consulting a map briefly to get the general whereabouts of the town, she dug her heels in and urged the dragon out of the pen and into the night sky.

* * *

Gojyo threw in his cards irritably and signaled to the dealer he was out for the evening. This sucked! Everything had been going fine until that douche-bag bishop had shown up in their room. The bastard had sucked all his luck away, he was certain about it. He hadn't lost so badly in Black Jack in years. His table companions, two older guys and one young kid who was worse off than he was, said goodnight to him as he stood and tucked what was left of his money away into his pocket. He paid for his drinks at the bar and left the establishment, digging his hands into his coat pockets to keep them warm against the surprising chill in the air. Goddamn deserts… always so fucking hot during the day, and ball freezing cold at night!

He walked down the silent streets of the small town, his senses heightened due to the utter quiet that only two in the morning could bring. He found his lighter and cigarettes in his left pocket and stopped just long enough to light one up. A swiftly moving wind blew by overhead, dying out almost instantly and causing him to look up at the sky. Something had just flown by, or he was a baby chimp. Assassins? Probably not so soon after they'd dispatched those last morons. Kougaiji's group rode on dragons… Yaone, perhaps, coming to see her man?

About fucking time, too, in his opinion! He would never admit to it willingly, but he'd been worried about the monk for the last few days. More quiet than usual, less eager to break that fucking fan of his out. It was bordering way too close to Rain Day Depression, and it was starting to worry Goku. Not that he really cared or anything… but the kid just didn't spar as well when he was sulky over his owner. So, the sooner Yaone did her magic thing (and how he would have _loved_ to know what she did to that monk) with Sanzo, the better for the rest of them as well. The gods bless that woman for tolerating the bitchy blond like she did!

Sure enough, his suspicions that it was a certain gorgeous apothecary were confirmed when he saw her enter the town through a side alley, eyes scanning up and down the darkened street in search of the Jeep. Hakuryuu had gotten lucky that their inn accepted pets, so he was sleeping indoors for a change. She finally noticed him and he flicked his fingers in a casual wave as she hesitantly walked over to him. "Hello… Gojyo," she said slowly, obviously uncertain if he knew about her and the priest or not.

"Hey, yourself, gorgeous," he commented, smiling lazily as her pale cheeks turned a slightly darker color. "Don't suppose you're here to see me, are you?"

"No, I'm not unfortunately," she answered, offering him a faint, teasing smile. He was glad she at least had a sense of humor, unlike her grouchy lover upstairs. If Sanzo had been there to hear him flirt with Yaone, he knew he'd be a very dead kappa.

"That _is_ unfortunate. Well, your boyfriend's asleep right now, but I'd be glad to wake his holy ass up for you if you want."

"Not if it'll get you shot."

Gojyo put a hand to his heart, feigning an air of utter chivalry. "For a beautiful woman like you, getting shot at by a dick with a gun is a small price to pay. Go around back to the courtyard. I'll send him down in a second." He'd had a chance to scope out the courtyard in question, and besides a few shipping crates it was the ideal spot for lovers to meet. Nice open view of the moonlit sky, vines wrapping up the side of the inn full of flowers that smelled fantastic and best of all... privacy. The only things it lacked were candles for atmosphere and a bed for make up sex.

He waited until she disappeared around the corner of the building before pushing the door to the inn open and heading upstairs to their room. He was as quiet as he could be about opening the tricky door, grimacing as the light from the hall broke through the darkness and hit the two lightest sleepers in the group. "Sorry," he mumbled as Hakkai gave him a slightly annoyed, sleepy glare.

"Please, don't stand there all night, Gojyo. It's rude," the healer grumbled before turning over on the bed and resettling himself. Hakkai was one of those annoyingly chipper morning people, but the gods forbid he get woken up suddenly. It was less dangerous waking Sanzo up first thing in the morning without a cup of coffee to distract him with.

The red head shut the door softly, his eyes adjusting quickly to the dark as he made his way over to Sanzo's bed. The monk had woken briefly at his entrance, gun in hand, but had flopped down again when he saw it was the last member of their group. Sucking in a steadying breath and holding it as his muscles tensed in preparation for ducking bullets, he reached out and shook Sanzo's bare shoulder carefully. "Oi, monk!"

"You're not getting your fucking pillow, kappa," the blond growled without bothering to wake up.

Gojyo licked his lips nervously and leaned down as close as he dared toward the volatile man. "I think the queen's back in this hand of the game," he whispered. Not that it really mattered if he whispered or not. If Hakkai was awake, he'd hear it anyway.

That got Sanzo's full attention. Rolling over, the monk blinked in sleepy confusion for a second as he processed what exactly was said to him. Then, as it hit him, his eyes widened slightly before he shoved Gojyo squarely in the chest to get him to back up. "Get the hell off me, you molesting water sprite!"

"Easy, asshole! As if I'd wanna molest you anyway. Prickly bastard."

"Get it through your thick head; I don't do men, and I don't do kappa sex freaks. Now back the hell off!"

Glaring at the monk and uncaring that he probably couldn't see it in the dark, Gojyo did as he was told, kicking his boots off on the way to his own bed. "If you're gonna play this round, it's being held down in the courtyard," he added over his shoulder. "A private game. You should probably haul ass to get down there before you're dealt out." He dropped onto the mattress and turned his back on the room, smiling as he heard bed springs creak and the sound of silk hastily being put back onto its owner.

Snarling and muttering vague death threats the entire time, Sanzo half stomped toward the door, jerking it open roughly but being careful not to slam it too loudly as he left. Gojyo chuckled to himself and closed his eyes, his body relaxing eagerly into the mattress. Gods, that had been fun! He'd have to remember to thank Yaone the next time he saw her for giving him that small pleasure. Pissing off the monk without getting shot at? Priceless!

* * *

At the same time he was eager to see her, he wanted to kill her for choosing _one in the damn morning_ for showing up. Sanzo fixed the sutra about his shoulders, eyes narrowed in a protective measure against the brightness of the hallway. If that damn kappa was doing this as a trick to get the pillow back, he was going to be beyond dead in the next few minutes! Despite the very real possibility of a trick, he was quick to get down the stairs and out the back door through the silent kitchen. The dimmer tones of a moonlit night greeted his sore eyes welcomingly and the air was just cool enough to wake him up as it crept into his lungs. He paused outside the doorway by a small pile of shipping crates, scanning the courtyard for where the 'queen' was.

He spotted her pacing by a small potted tree, her fingers twisting together in a nervous gesture he knew too well. That pleasantly warm feeling in his chest that he associated with her began to fade at her obvious unease of being here and his doubts as to the outcome of this conversation began to surface again. He made his way toward her, his movement drawing her attention and causing her to stop her pacing. She smiled at him, but it was a quick gesture and one that wasn't entirely happy to see him. "Hey," he said, stopping just in front of her and completely uncertain what his reaction should be. Kissing her didn't seem right because of their being in public and her nerves. He didn't do the whole hugging thing and bowing was flat out.

Yaone's smile lifted just a bit more as she said softly, "Hey."

They continued to stare at each other, neither one knowing really what to say. He hated the fact that now, of all times, he was having trouble talking to her. He'd already said everything he'd wanted to, but waiting for her to find the words she needed was damned near sickening. They needed to talk. Okay... how to do that? Clearing his throat and crossing his arms over his chest, he said, "Your boss is obviously doing better or you wouldn't be here."

"Yes, Lord Kougaiji's fine. So is Dokugakuji," she answered.

"That'll make Hakkai's day. You?"

"Better, thank you. I'm... sorry. About the desert. I shouldn't have snapped at you when you were concerned about me."

Sanzo shrugged, wanting desperately for a cigarette and refraining because he knew she didn't like it when he smoked. "Forget about it. It's not a big deal."

Yaone nodded, glancing down at the ground as she bit her lower lip. His stomach knotted hard, his instincts telling him that the next words out of her mouth were going to be it. Sweat slid down the back of his neck and his mouth went dry as the doubts roared to life, flooding him over in an icy numbness that was bordering on shock. He knew, even before she spoke, what she was going to say. "Sanzo... I think... I think maybe we should... take a break from this," she whispered, her voice so low he almost missed what she'd said.

His mind went completely blank at those words before they started repeating themselves over and over again. A break from this. She wanted a break... from this. From them. It had always been a possibility that she would say that, but he'd never really believed it would happen. She was leaving. Yaone... was leaving him. It took a great deal of effort not to give in and sink to the ground like his knees wanted to do. It took even more effort just to drag the one word question of, "What?" from his throat, his voice harsh sounding even to his own ringing ears.

"I think we need some time apart," she continued, finally raising her eyes to meet his. She was scared. She was hurt and it obviously saddened her to say the words... but he saw the definite edge of firmness there that said she wouldn't be swayed of this decision. Yaone was seriously dumping him. Fuck... "I love you, you know I do. But that's not enough to make you love me, and it's not enough to make you _let_ me love you. You need to learn to let people in and let them care about you before you can love someone, and I don't think my staying with you is going to help you realize that."

He had no idea how to respond to the latter portion of her statement, so he chose to focus on the former. "You think we need time apart to fix things involving us?" he asked, a choking feeling entering his throat, one that he hadn't felt in years. It instantly triggered thoughts of blood soaked wood, dark blonde hair spread across the floor and the once smiling face of someone he cared about utterly still and lifeless. Damn it... not now! He winced slightly as the migraine surfaced and resisted the urge to cover his eyes. This wasn't happening. He was _not_ losing her!

Her hand was cool against his cheek as she pushed his hair behind his ear, her fingers lightly calloused and gentle as she held his gaze steadily. "Maybe. I don't know. It's just… not working with the status quo. If I stay, everything will be fine for a bit until you find another way to push me out."

"Yaone, I told you before I'm in this. What the hell else do you need from me?"

"Do you love me?" she asked, stepping just a little closer to him.

"What makes you think I don't?" he asked back, covering her hand with his own as if he could keep her there through the touch alone.

She shook her head, her eyes suspiciously bright as if she were fighting the urge to cry. "You can't answer this question with a question, Sanzo. You either do or you don't. I know you care about me... but do you love me?"

Words wouldn't come. He couldn't find them or even seem to remember that he _had_ a voice to begin with. A memory surfaced, one from when he'd been a child and asking his own master that. The memory shifted once again to seeing his master cut down, body mangled and unmoving. Not even a breath could get through his tight throat, and he knew his inability to speak was what caused her to close her eyes and pull her hand gently from his. A tear slid down her cheek as she caught her lower lip between her teeth and stepped back from him. No... damn it, why couldn't he just say it?!

"Maybe... Maybe we can try again later? After this is all done and over with?" she asked, but it was clear from the question in her voice that she didn't think it likely that they would meet again. He was completely paralyzed, made immobile through the shock of her leaving and the memories that just wouldn't leave him alone.

She was walking away from him, and all he could do was fucking stare at her. No... His fingers curled into tight, painful fists as he began to force himself into action. No, he wasn't going to let her just leave! He'd said she was worth fighting for, and he'd meant it. There had to be some way of fixing this, goddamn it! He wasn't about to lose another person he cared about because he couldn't do shit to stop it from happening. "Yaone," he called, stopping her abruptly. She turned, hope written clearly across her face. "Stay."

Yaone came back over to him, her fingers clasped so tightly in front of her that her knuckles were a brighter whiteness against her pale skin. She leaned into him, pressing her lips to his carefully. Even with the tension running through his body, he couldn't help but respond to her kiss, one hand uncurling from a fist to reach for hers. Her kiss lacked the flavor it normally held, tasting sad and final against his lips. Slowly, she drew back, her fingers locking with his firmly, as if she didn't intend to let go anytime soon. Gods, he hoped that was true. "I want to stay Sanzo," she said against his lips, drawing back just a little further to continue whispering to him. "But I think we both need this."

He didn't let go of her hand as she began to walk away again, holding on until she let go of him completely and continued on around the corner of the inn, not once looking back. He had wanted to argue with her, wanted to deny everything she said, but deep down he knew the truth. She was right. He wasn't ready for what she had to offer him. He couldn't say the words she wanted to hear, and he therefore couldn't have her. It was because of that startling self-realization, as well as her stating that she needed this as well, that he didn't drag her back to him. He let her walk away because he didn't know how to love her like she did him, and she needed to give him the space to do that.

* * *

Yaone had no idea how she managed to walk away from him. She barely remembered the walk back to her dragon, or when she had fallen to her knees in the cool grass when her shaking body finally demanded that she stop. She curled forward on herself, tears burning hot down her cheeks as she began to sob. The sounds were torn from her throat, straining her entire chest and stomach with the force behind them. She'd done it. She'd actually left Sanzo.

God, she couldn't believe she did that!

Even though she knew the decision was the right one for them, it still hurt worse than any wound she could imagine being inflicted upon her person to do it. So long as she stayed with him, nothing would change. She would forever be fighting his fear of love and that wasn't healthy. It wasn't easy either, her instincts as a healer telling her she _could_ help him. Her heart and head, however, said otherwise. Sanzo needed to learn this on his own.

Yaone slammed her palm into the hard ground and continued to cry, completely weakened by the emotional strain. She wasn't capable of flying, even though she knew she should. The dragon waited nearby, oblivious to her agony. The sobs began to hurt, her breaths stuttering and nearing the point of hyperventilation. Yaone felt dizzy, lightheaded as the shock began to set in firmly. She was no longer with Sanzo. She was… no…

Arms circled her, warm and strong and covered in white cloth. Yaone blinked, trying to register how she knew those arms. Long fingers pet her hair, a deep voice murmuring barely distinguishable words of comfort to her as she was rocked back and forth. It took her a moment longer before she recognized the scent of clean rain that was unique to someone she knew very well. "Doku-gakuji?" she asked, her voice hoarse from the near screaming.

"I had a feeling I should follow you. A damn good thing I was right," the swordsman muttered, still holding her tightly. "Just keep crying. I've got you."

Yaone turned into his arms with a cry, holding him close and crying into his shoulder. Dokugakuji continued to rock her gently, rubbing her back and whispering all the lies she needed to hear. It wasn't going to get better. No, she wouldn't see. Everything wasn't going to be alright. How could it be when she'd just left the man that she loved?

She had no idea how long they remained there or when exactly it was the tears had stopped and some of the numbness had worn away. Doku was still holding her, but it was obvious that he wanted to get under way soon. He shook her shoulder gently and said, "Hey, we need to get going. That bastard Nii left a little after you did, and that makes me a bit uneasy. We should get outta here just in case."

Yaone nodded weakly and let him help her to her feet. Her legs were still wobbly and the only reason she was able to stumble to her dragon was with his assistance. He helped her into the saddle, thrust the reigns into her hand and then met her gaze steadily. He was worried about her, it was clear as day in his dark eyes. Dokugakuji sighed and squeezed her knee gently. "I'll tell Kou you need some time off. I don't wanna see you in anything but pajamas or eating anything but ice cream for the next week, got it?" She knew he was joking, but she couldn't even summon the will to smile even the faintest bit at him. He sighed again before climbing onto his own dragon and kicking it into the air. Her dragon responded automatically, taking off without any prompts from her.

She finally glanced back when they were in the air, seeing the town start to fade away as they flew higher into the sky. She knew that even though she had ended it, she was leaving a piece of herself down there as well. Maybe, if God were willing, they _would_ have a chance later on.

But then again, she was never one to believe in miracles.

* * *

Shit… she was gone. Sanzo moved slowly into the shadows, dropping back against the cool concrete wall of the inn and let his head fall back, eyes closing tightly. He'd lost her, and it was all his fucking fault! He hadn't been able to save his master, and he hadn't been able to keep Yaone. SHIT! His hand fumbled blindly for his cigarettes, trying to get the blessedly relieving nicotine into his system as two very different memories, one old and one new but both sharing that same sense of loss, from surfacing and driving him mad. She was gone now, just like the last time he'd cared for someone. How the hell was he supposed to learn to care about others when he did nothing but lose them? If anything, it was all the more reason to keep Goku as far from himself as he could get. The first pull of smoke into his lungs was not as soothing as he'd wanted it to be, his hand shaking terribly as he held the frail white stick. It didn't taste right either, and when he looked at the package he realized why. He was smoking Gojyo's cheap-assed shit. He could have thrown it away, but then he would have been completely without nicotine

Damn it… just… goddamn it! He was alone again. Alone, and-

"Oh, there ya are! I woke up an' saw you were gone, so I got up to find ya!"

Sanzo's eyes opened slowly at the familiar sound of Goku's cheery voice. No, he wasn't alone. Goku was there and he wasn't going to leave any time soon. He met wide golden eyes that stared up at him with something so warm and deep that he had no words to describe it. The pain in the ass monkey wasn't going anywhere… and neither was he. Being left by a lover or not being able to save a father figure didn't change anything. Those pains would hurt, and they would hurt for a long time, but he had to keep going because there was still a lot that needed to be done.

And he had Goku to consider, too.

Flicking ash from his cigarette, Sanzo's eyes narrowed as Goku crept a little closer to him. "I'm not going anywhere. You know that."

Smiling happily, Goku said, "Yeah, I know. Hey, Sanzo?"

"Hm?"

"If somethin' happened, an' I'm not sayin' it's gonna, would you… wanna be brought back from the dead?"

Sanzo regarded his charge with an arched brow and a deep frown. This was _not_ the conversation he wanted to have right then and there, not after what had just happened. But Goku was watching him, waiting for an answer to the question. "We've been over this, Goku. Something like that would have to have it's consequences."

"Yeah… but _would_ you?"

"Would you?"

The boy thought it over carefully, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. Sanzo had time to finish his cigarette and grind it out against the side of the house before the kid finally answered with a chuckle while rubbing his neck sheepishly, "Naw… I think I'd be okay."

Nodding, Sanzo said, "Good," before he ruffled the course brown hair peeking up at all angles and walked by the boy for the inn. He heard it, the noise of wind rushing by, shortly before a gurgling sound came from Goku right behind him. Gods… he knew that sound… A black feather, like a raven's only longer and slimmer, flittered down to the ground not even an inch from his boot. The air was suddenly still after that rush, the moon itself seeming to shrink back into the shadows and hide itself. Sanzo turned slowly, heart barely beating and breath caught in his chest, as Goku fell to his knees with shocked, panicked eyes. Goku…

Goku fell to the ground and didn't move. Nothing moved. Goku… He was frozen again, unable to see anything passed the still form of his charge, the blood everywhere. His master… Yaone…No, not… NO! "GOKU!"

His knees hit the cement of the courtyard hard, but he couldn't feel the pain or the cold stone. Everything was deathly still, no sound of birds just waking… nothing. Slowly, he reached out and touched Goku, sweat sliding down his cheek and breath being forced through his constricted throat. Goku… His hand met something wet and sticky and drew back quickly, knowing very well what that was. He stared at his hand, his palm covered over in the dark coloring of Goku's blood and he shook his head. Goku hadn't moved at all.

Voices. He could hear voices now, shouting. Someone else was reaching for Goku, turning him over. It was a reflex, nothing planned on his part, that made him snatch Goku to him, touching the hair wet with blood, the cooling skin of his cheek, stare into wide golden eyes that were beginning to cloud over. His master… It was just like before. Nothing around them, not even…

Auras.

He couldn't feel any auras, just like that night. He should have been able to sense Hakkai and Gojyo, he should have still caught traces of Yaone as she… left him. There was nothing. Nothing but blood and Goku unmoving on his lap and-

_**SLAP!**_

His head and neck snapped to the side so sharply that he had to catch himself before he fell to the ground. Sanzo blinked as feeling began to return to his numb body and the heat of just having been hit stung his cheek. He blinked, slowly looking in the direction the slap had come from. Dark eyes glared back at him, and he knew that the usual green shade of them was now something closer to black. Hakkai… how did he… "I need you to let go of Goku, Sanzo," the healer said firmly. "I need you to let go so I can see if I can heal him. Sanzo!"

"Forget it, man, he's in shock," another voice said worriedly. Sanzo sucked in a sharp breath and clung tighter to Goku as a hand gripped his shoulder and tried to pull him away. "Sanzo, c'mon! You've gotta let go!"

No… he wasn't letting go. He shook his head, the words to say so stripped from him. He couldn't let go this time. If he did… No.

Hakkai shoved him hard, sending him back on his ass and away from Goku. The hand on his shoulder tightened in a warning not to interfere as the healer began trying to work the impossible. Already, he knew it was going to be too late. He could feel the connection with Goku breaking and could do nothing but push to his feet and watch as Hakkai kept healing wounds while Gojyo tried to keep the boy's head tilted back to allow breath into his prone body.

He watched as Hakkai, beginning to look frantic, ripped Goku's shirt wide open to expose more gaping wounds. There were too many and he was bleeding too fast. He wasn't going to live. No… He'd failed to save his master. He couldn't keep Yaone with him. And now Goku, too, was leaving him. He had to leave. He couldn't stay and just watch… He had to run. But where to? His senses were numb, without feeling just as the night air was…

The night wasn't still any longer. The heavy shadows weren't hanging over the moon and suddenly birds could be heard. Sanzo blinked, looking around sharply. That utter void, that absolute nothingness… it was gone. He spun about, searching for it mentally and as if he were looking for a particular aura. He knew that feeling from before, that complete lack of anything. No aura, no sound, not touch… It was like his very soul had been frozen. He'd felt it before, with his master. Whoever had killed Koumyou Sanzo was the same person to have killed Goku,

Whoever it was, they were soon going to be dead. Just as soon as he…

THERE! He pinpointed the void of energy moving outward from the city. A surge of panic went through his system when he realized that it very well could be following the direction that Yaone went off in. He took off running, intending to kill whoever had murdered Goku and keep them away from Yaone at the same time. He could hear Gojyo yelling for him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. He had to catch up with that presence, and he had to kill it.

Clouds rolled in, thick and heavy, overhead. It was going to rain, but it wasn't going to stop him. The person who had caused all the pain he felt was so close at hand. He had nothing left to lose. No master to protect. No charge to look over. And no lover to worry about seeing again.

He had no reason to stop running.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sooo… that's it. The end. God, I need a drink! I really can't believe this is over now. Two years of writing, forty-five chapters, over four hundred reviews and thirty thousand hits… All I can say is thank you all SO MUCH for reading this! Truly, you have no idea how much it means to me that people took a chance on this pairing and read it. 


	46. Epilogue

EPILOGUE: Because I really can't see this one ending on a down note, not after the amount of time I spent writing it. –grins-

* * *

Hakkai smiled as he walked down the busy streets in the town that was overlooked by the Chang'An temple high above. The paper bags in his arms were heavy, but he still had a few places to stop before he could head back to the small house he and Gojyo now shared. They'd returned from their journey west (which had unfortunately taken almost three years to complete, though he would deny that _any_ of that was due to faulty navigation) a little under a year ago to discover that their landlord had rented out their apartment to another tenant and had sold all their personal affects to pay for the last month of rent they hadn't kept. Gojyo had been beyond devastated to hear that his beloved place had been literally ransacked and sold off, but had recovered marginally when Hakkai said that, technically speaking, they could bill the temple for it all. 

Sanzo had been less than thrilled to receive a bill for three years worth of body guarding, cooking, cleaning, chauffering, comical relief (which he argued bitterly), rent missed for the apartment, furnishings… well, the list dragged on a bit. So far, they had only collected on half of what Hakkai estimated was due to them. It was enough to purchase a small house just outside the busy little town. A small white picket fence and a yard came with it, two items Hakkai had always wanted but never thought he would have. It was worth it, even if hours of rewiring for a faulty electric system (which Gojyo had discovered by a most unfortunate accident) had come in the deal. He finally had enough yard to grow a small herb garden, including space for a couple watermelon plants at Gojyo's request.

Of course, they still were sent on missions for the temple. But life was beginning to return to normal now. The inhabitants of the town were still very leery of each other, even after a year of fairly peaceful cohabitation. The youkai who had moved back were still looked at suspiciously, but so far things hadn't been too bad. A few scuffles from some racist humans at the start of the reintroduction of youkai, but nothing extremely serious.

A lot of the peace really was due to Sanzo, though he would deny it with every breath in his body. The last time a youkai had been beaten in the street by jumpy humans, the only living sanzo monk, keeper of the remaining Tenchi Kaigen sutras, had come down and rained holy retribution on their heads in the form of a wickedly wielded fan. There were still some folks who refused to sell goods to a youkai… but no one dared attack one again. Genjyo Sanzo was highly revered by the people of the town. What he said was practically law to their pious souls.

Naturally, he himself had it easier than some of the youkai. He was already known in the town and fairly well liked. Plus, he still had his limiters. He'd only taken them off once since Goku had nearly died, but never again, not even now when the Minus Wave was no longer a threat. Gojyo teased him horribly about it, but he didn't listen. He'd take them off… eventually. Just not now.

Hakkai stopped when a window display of freshly butchered lamb racks caught his eye. While technically not on his list, they looked too good to pass up. Besides, Goku was very fond of roasted lamb with new potatoes. Maybe he could bill the lamb to the temple as well…

"Are you insane? You're seriously going to tell me it's two-twenty nine _per peach_? These are more like apricots than peaches!" a familiar woman's voice shouted in outrage. Hakkai's attention was perked, his reflection in the glass of the butcher shop showing that his jaw was indeed dropped in shock. It couldn't be…

"Are you suggestin' my peaches are small?" a gruffer man's voice snarled back.

"I'm not suggesting it, I'm flat out saying it! And I doubt the peaches are the only thing that's small at this stand!"

"WHAT?!"

Hakkai nearly dropped his groceries at not only the voice but the insult thrown as well. All this time… and he'd though her nothing but polite! Clearly, he'd underestimated her sharp tongue. He turned around slowly, still in shock at hearing her voice all this way from where he'd last seen her tending the prince's wounds. A bag finally _did_ slip to the ground when he saw it was her. Her hair was down and much shorter than when he'd last seen her, barely reaching to the middle of her back. She was also much thinner than he recalled, but there was no doubting that it was her. He recognized the determined glint to her eyes very well. "Miss Yaone?"

She whipped around sharply, words ready to be fired at a new target should it be needed. She paused when he smiled and waved as best he could with an armful of bags, blinking as her mouth opened and closed a few times. She shook her head to make certain she wasn't seeing things and tried again for speech. "Mr… Hakkai. What a… I mean… Hello."

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as a blush flared across his cheeks. "Yes, indeed. This really is quite the surprise. And hello! Hello to you as well, Mr. Chuen. How are you today?"

"Well enough, Hakkai. My girl's readin' very well, thanks to you," the stall clerk said with a gracious nod in his direction. His scowl returned instantly as he indicated Yaone with his thumb. "You know this tart?"

"Tart?! Excuse me?" Yaone railed indignantly, slamming her palms down on the stall hard enough to send a few of the questionable peaches rolling across its surface.

"Er… you could say that," Hakkai interrupted. "She was actually the personal cook for Master Sanzo during our travels." He smiled to himself, knowing exactly the effect his words would have on the belligerent man.

Instantly, Chuen's demeanor became more agreeable. "Personal cook, y'say?" the man questioned with a calculating air to his demeanor. Clearly, the man was considering the opportunity that could arise for having sold his product to someone so closely 'connected' with the temple. "Well… that changes things a bit! For you, miss, two-twenty nine per pound."

Yaone flushed darkly and muttered a thank you as she began selecting the fruit discriminatorily from the bunch. Chuen watched her with a fairly muted glare, tucking his large arms over his chest as she tested the fruit for ripeness. Hakkai bent and scooped his bags up before approaching her and tugging on the burlap sack she had slung over one shoulder. "May I carry that for you?" He couldn't help using the polite inquiry as a way to sneak a peek at her purchases. Celery, mint, a small box of chamomile tea, a few fragile objects wrapped in tissue paper… It seemed as if she intended to stay for a while. He wondered if a certain blond in the temple already knew she was there.

"Oh… thank you, but you seem to be burdened with your own," she answered with a smile, handing over her money to Chuen with one last glare in his direction before she added the peaches to her bag. She adjusted it on her shoulder and wrapped her fingers around the strap to indicate she was fine. To insist further, even though it was impolite to leave a lady carrying so much, would only have irritated her. He knew better than to irritate an explosives expert. "I can manage, it's not a far walk from here."

"Ah, so you have a room already? If you'd like, Gojyo and I have a spare room at our place. You're more than welcome to stay with us instead of being on your own." He kept his smile entirely friendly and hoped nothing of his ulterior motive sank into his eyes. He had a pretty good idea why she was in their town, he just wanted to see how permanent it was.

Blushing, Yaone hugged her arms around her stomach and gave him a guilty look. "Actually… it's a little more than just one room. I have a small house just outside of town."

_That_ wasn't exactly what he had been expecting, so the surprise on his face was completely genuine. He'd had a suspicion that the fairly normal groceries were because she had an apartment, but a _house_? Hakkai blinked and then laughed softly, his eyebrows rising a bit. "Oh, my! You've certainly been very busy. How long have you been here?"

"Four months."

"Four months?" he repeated, nearly dropping all his bags in shock. Four months of living in the same town as he and Gojyo, and he'd never seen her around before? He shook his head and wished he had a free hand to rub his eyes for good measure. "You've been living here for four months now?"

Her blush deepened until it resembled cherry stains on white silk as she hugged her bag closer to her side. "It's been… hectic. Moving, that is. The house isn't very big, and I had a surprising amount of clutter…"

"Yes, but when did you move? I'm sure we would have seen-,"

"It was done in one night, via dragon. King Kougaiji was kind enough to send me some assistance. They didn't stay for the unpacking, however, which was rather disappointing… and also what I've been doing for the last four months."

Hakkai continued to gape at her as she lowered her lashes and allowed her hair to slide forward to hide her smirk. It amused her to see him to taken off guard. Clearing his throat, he glanced up toward where Chang'An temple was silhouetted against a bright blue sky and asked tentatively, "Does he…?"

"No, he doesn't know yet. I… Well, to be honest, I'm not sure if he'd _want_ to know. Technically speaking, we _did_ break up."

"Ah. Well, if one wishes to be technical, then technically you two took a _break_." She hadn't been around after that horrid incident with Goku, so she had no idea what exactly the monk had been through. He, however, knew a good deal about the situation. It wasn't like he became Sanzo's pillow talk companion, more that the monk would talk on occasion and he would keep his mouth shut.

After Sanzo had returned from running off the night Goku almost died, and which Hakkai learned later was the same night Yaone had said good-bye as well, it had taken a little time for him to be accepted back into their group. Goku had been the first, of course, to make the first move, and he and Gojyo were quick to follow. It was the boy Sanzo had hurt the most, not them. If Goku could forgive the blond, then they could as well.

Yaone shrugged to concede the point in his favor before murmuring, "But all technicality is lost when you consider that Sanzo holds a person to their decision. I left him, Hakkai. I don't think he'll want me back."

"Then why did you come here? True, we do have some amazing scenery, and the real estate is fairly reasonable. Not to mention we're one of the few places that supports youkai-human interaction… but you left Houtu Castle, didn't you?" If she truly thought that Sanzo would turn her away, she wouldn't have given up everything she was familiar with. She was just frightened, and he couldn't blame her. This was an enormous leap for her to take.

She nodded, her lips pressing into a thin, somber line. "I stayed a year with the king to train a new healer and assist him in securing his recently won throne. I also wanted to be there for the funeral of his mother. After a year, well… he point blank asked me why I was still there. I honestly didn't know how to answer him, so… he released me from duty under the constraint that every six months I return and stay for a few weeks. So, I didn't actually _leave _Houtu Castle completely. My contract was renegotiated, you might say."

Hakkai chuckled, nudging her as best he could with his arms full of paper bags. She glanced over at him and smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She looked exhausted, as was to be expected from moving and unpacking for four months on her own, but there was more to her eyes than that. She still loved Sanzo, and was scared of being rejected by him this time. If she only knew… He knew for a fact that Sanzo still thought about her regularly, even a year later. He never actually said it, but every once in a while a look would cross over his face that said he was thinking about something that was equally pleasant and painful. During their trip back, they would take turns keeping watch at night for assassins that missed the memo stating the Sanzo Party was no longer enemy number one. He remembered a few occasions where he distinctly heard Sanzo mutter her name in his sleep.

Then, of course, there was the fact that they _all_ knew the monk hadn't touched a woman since her. Gojyo had been fond of joking that the apothecary had turned Sanzo right off of women and onto men. He stopped it when Hakkai had asked if that was wishful thinking on the red head's part. The fact remained that Sanzo had simply not been interested, and they were _all_ taking the brunt of his denied sexual frustrations. Even he had gotten a taste of Fan Punishment a few times toward the end of their journey. The fact that Yaone was now living in their town was a miracle from the gods. Perhaps the Merciful Goddess really _was_ merciful after all.

(The goddess in question snorted and rolled her eyes, smirking down on them from her throne. "The only thanks I get is from the Christian," she drawled, irritation creeping into her voice. "How ironic is that?")

Hakkai smiled to himself, sparing a glance for the apothecary from the corner of his eye. She was nervous, yes, but if she honestly didn't believe she and Sanzo could restart their relationship she wouldn't have come all the way out east and bought a house in the town that looked to the temple. "I really don't think you need to worry about Sanzo rejecting you, Yaone," he murmured gently.

Yaone gave him an oh-really look, complete with lifted eyebrow. "Hakkai, I dumped him. He just might _not_ be willing to try again for that simple fact. If he doesn't… God, I don't know what will happen."

"Well, I for one _do_ know. I will simply have to take him out back behind the temple and kick his ass for rejecting a woman who loves him." His smile widened as she chuckled and tucked a section of hair behind her tapered ear. He wasn't joking, but if it cheered her up to think so...

Her laughter faded slowly as she chewed her lower lip in a very open expression of nervousness. "I don't know how to do this," she said softly, her gaze drifting upward toward the temple. "I can't exactly go knock on his door, not without a slue of monks screaming about a woman in the monastery. The only time he really leaves is if he needs to travel."

"My, if it weren't for the fact that you cared for him, I'd accuse you of stalking the great Master Sanzo," he teased lightly.

She shot him a mock scowl before a small smile managed to break free at his joke. "Anyway," she continued, running one hand up the strap to her bag to relieve some of the weight. "He never leaves there, except for traveling. And I don't think it would be appropriate to pop out of nowhere to discuss re-igniting things between us when he's working."

"I agree. He gets very irritable a few days before he has to leave. However, you're mistaken in the fact that he never leaves the temple. He comes over once in a while, usually when Goku annoys him into coming over."

"That doesn't do me much good, Hakkai."

"Oh, yes it does." Hakkai stopped walking when he came to the street he needed to turn off at, prompting her to turn and face him inquiringly. The wicked wheels in his head were already churning out a wonderfully simple, but exceedingly brilliant, plan in order to get them together. Operation Romance was in its first stages as of this moment! "It has suddenly occurred to me that this Friday, Gojyo and I are going to have a poker night. Now, Gojyo isn't aware of this fact yet, but we would both be honored if you could join us."

"Hakkai," she began, shaking her head as the red flared across her cheeks again.

He managed to hold up one finger from around the bags to stall her from declining his invitation. "I really must insist, Yaone. And I'm not above sending Gojyo to collect you from your house."

"He doesn't know where I live!" she protested with a surprised laugh.

"Gojyo is very good and finding out where ladies live. Now, food will consist mostly of finger options, and alcohol will most likely be beer. If you aren't fond of beer, then please feel free to bring something of your own choosing. Just go straight down Hsu-Yin's Lane all the way until it stops. We're number five. The game starts at seven, so please don't be late."

"Hakkai, really-,"

"See you Friday, Yaone!" he called over his shoulder as he walked away, smiling brightly at his own cunning. This could very well work. Yes, it would. It was perfect. All he had to do now was tell Gojyo, get Goku to drag Sanzo out and then devise a way for the two of them to get some time alone and everything would be perfect!

He made it home without losing a single grocery, thank God, though he did have a little trouble with the door. The lights were off in the house, which really wasn't surprising considering his roommate hadn't stumbled in until three in the morning. "Gojyo, I'm home," he called as he set his bags on the counter.

There was a sharp thud from the red head's bedroom and a groan which he took to mean I'm-glad-you're-back. Hakkai hummed under his breath as he began putting the groceries where they belonged. Instant dinners for Gojyo on the few nights that he ended up staying in the temple after a late teaching session with Goku. Fresh fruit for Goku for when he came over. Chicken, steak, pork and shrimp for various meals during the week. A few needed baking items (hmm, baking… that would keep Goku occupied Friday night) and three cases of beer for the rest of the week. Normally, Gojyo drank when he went out, but Hakkai liked to have a few beers with his own dinner, too.

He was just setting the tea kettle on with some fresh water when Gojyo stumbled out of his bedroom, squinting at the filtered light slanting in through the closed blinds. "Morning, Hakkai," he mumbled, dragging his bare feet across the linoleum tiling of the kitchen as he bee lined straight for the fridge.

Hakkai automatically yanked the milk carton from Gojyo's hand as the red head was about to drink straight from it, smiling at the sleepy confusion on his friend's face as he poured the milk into a glass and handed it back to him. "Good morning, Gojyo. How's the new mattress?"

"S'okay. Wasn't really payin' attention to it. What time is it?"

"About seven in the morning."

"Fuck, really?"

Hakkai nodded cheerfully as he set up two teacups and two metal balls full of loose tea. Eucalyptus leaves with ginseng root would be a wise choice, for the antioxidants that helped curb the effects of staying up too late.

"Fuck," Gojyo replied before sinking into a chair and holding his hand out for the pack of cigarettes that Hakkai automatically handed to him. "Y'know, you should really sleep in some time."

"I should, should I?"

"Uh-huh. It's the best damn thing since sex was discovered."

He chuckled at the comment as he poured the water into the cups and Gojyo lit his morning cigarette. "Speaking slightly on subject, I bumped into someone we know while in town. A lady."

Gojyo looked up with genuine interest at that as he blew a stream of grey smoke away from his tablemate. "A lady, huh? And someone I know? Was it Meilin?"

"No, no one you've _known_," he corrected, emphasizing the 'known' part for delicate clarification.

Gojyo leaned back in his chair, running his mind over the very short list of women in town he hadn't at least purchased drinks for in the past. Finally, after a few confused minutes, he set his cigarette aside and picked up his teacup as he shook his head. "I give up. Who?"

"Yaone."

Hakkai flinched and started to raise a small chi shield when it looked like eucalyptus tea was about to be sprayed in his face. Gojyo swallowed quickly, choking on the steaming hot tea. His eyes were wide with shock and watering in pain as he shoved his chair back and ran into the kitchen again for a cold glass of water. Hakkai waited patiently at the table and sipped at his tea, pleased he had managed to startle Gojyo awake without having to go through cup upon cup of caffeine to do the trick.

Finally, the kappa returned to the table, sniffling and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Sorry, but you _did_ just say you ran into Yaone, right?"

"I did. Apparently, she's been living here for a few months now."

"Damn… how the fuck did I miss that?"

Hakkai shrugged and blew across his hot tea. Not that blowing on a hot liquid really did much good, but it at least took care of the steam burning his nose as he sipped at it. "I was actually wondering the same thing. You're getting sloppy, Gojyo."

"Screw you, I am not! She's probably been hiding in her hotel room-,"

"-House, actually."

"HOUSE? She has a fucking HOUSE?"

He nodded, watching Gojyo from under his lashes as the red head raked his long fingers back through his hair irritably. There was no arguing it now. Gojyo had somehow missed knowing that a new, very attractive, woman had come to town. Chances were more than likely that he wouldn't be coming home for the next two days to prove that he was still on his game, which meant he should probably mention Friday now before he lost the chance. "By the way, I want to have a poker party this Friday."

"Oh, yeah? Are a certain monk and a certain apothecary gonna be there?" Gojyo asked with a knowing leer.

Hakkai chuckled and gave his friend a warm look. "I knew you'd catch on right away."

"If he doesn't hook back up with her, then I call dibs. That dick of a monk would have to be an absolute jackass to pass her up!"

"I'm glad you think so, and I agree. But I really wouldn't recommend trying to woo her, Gojyo. Even if Sanzo decides he's not interested, you know how territorial he is. He slept with her, therefore he won't let you sleep with her."

Gojyo snorted and rolled his eyes. "As if he could stop me if I was really gonna do it! Not my fault he likes to pass up on something good and then bitch about someone else moving in on it. And I wouldn't _woo_ her, Hakkai. I'd _seduce_ her."

"It's the same thing!"

"Maybe, but seduce sounds so much sexier than woo."

Hakkai shrugged, not really interested in arguing the point any further with his friend. Personally, he rather liked the term 'woo'. It had an old-fashioned ring to it and sounded a bit more respectable than 'seduce'. But… this was Gojyo, and Gojyo was anything _except_ old-fashioned when it came to attracting ladies. Oh, he treated them respectfully enough, but it was with a style that was unique to him. "Regardless of what you would do to her," and he pointedly ignored the lusty smirk and amused snort from the kappa, "I don't think _I_ would allow it myself. She loves Sanzo, Gojyo."

"Yeah, and if he'd gotten his cranky head outta his tight ass sooner, he would have realized he loved her, too. So, what, the plan's to get them over here for a game of poker?"

"And after a few hands, you're going to leave on a date."

"A date, huh? Anyone in mind, O Master Planner?" the red head teased, sipping his now fairly cooled tea.

"Whether or not you actually _have_ a date isn't important to the grand scheme of things," Hakkai replied firmly, a slight frown curving his lips downward. It was best to end that particular discussion before it came up. He really didn't need to hear Gojyo run down the list of willing bed partners he could procure at a moment's notice.

Gojyo grinned and raised his glass as if to toast Hakkai. "And because of that comment, I'm gonna make damned sure I _do_ have a date! So, I'm going on a date. Goku is gonna…?"

"Stay the night here and bake cookies with me," Hakkai answered.

"How very homemaker of you."

"Which means," he said with another firm glance as he ignored the kappa yet again. Ignoring Gojyo was usually the best way to continue a conversation. It was unfortunately something neither Sanzo nor Goku had picked up over the years of knowing the man. "That when Miss Yaone leaves, it will be late. Now, I certainly won't allow a lady to walk home alone at night-,"

"-Amen to that!"

"-Even if she's more than capable of handling herself should the need arise. Seeing as Sanzo is the only one who isn't occupied for the evening, and her house _is_ on the way back to Chang'An temple-,"

"-It is? Really?" The look in his eyes was a little too eager for mild or polite curiosity. An image of the red head casually strolling by Yaone's house flittered to the surface, followed by the same red head crawling back home with bullets riddled throughout his body. No… it was best that Gojyo never learn where Yaone lived, for his own sake. Curiosity could do more than kill that cat. It could piss a trigger-happy monk off enough to actually see through on one of his many death threats.

"Please, stop interrupting me, Gojyo. It's rude. And I'm not entirely certain if it is or not. She didn't disclose that information," he answered quickly. "Regardless, Sanzo will have to walk her home."

"Which means," Gojyo stated triumphantly, too proud of himself for figuring it out while massively sleep deprived to care that he had once again interrupted Hakkai. "That they get their alone time together and the monk starts getting his jollies again."

"In a rather crude manner of speaking… yes," Hakkai conceded, finishing his tea and standing up to refill his cup. "Would you like more tea, Gojyo?"

"Naw, I'm good. Hakkai, you're a genius."

"Why, thank you, Gojyo! If it works, I'll be inclined to agree with you."

* * *

_Creeeeeeaaaak._

Sanzo glared up through newly cut bangs as the door to his office slowly opened and a face that was starting to lose its boyish softness poked through. Those golden eyes were still wide and innocent though, despite all the death and chaos they had seen. The pen in his hand stilled in signing off on requisition forms that had stacked up on his desk due to a recent trip away from the temple. He'd only been gone for three days, and somehow enough paper work accrued that he couldn't see the darkly stained wood of his desk. He'd _wanted_ to try and at least knock out the requisitions completely before tackling the order lists for temple supplies in the morning…

But that didn't look to be happening. There was a monkey staring at him, and it was impossible to work under those conditions. Great. "What do you want?" he demanded, repositioning his glasses on his nose as he bent over his paperwork again. Maybe if he pretended to be busy... No, that wasn't going to do anything. The day that Goku didn't bother him was the day he'd dye his hair pink.

"Um… I was just gonna ask if we were gonna go," Goku stated hesitantly, edging himself the rest of the way into his office. The boy had grown a couple inches in the last year, but it was doubtful if was going to get much taller than he was. Muscles that were once thin and lanky were now beginning to fill out and take on a more matured smoothness. It was a little disturbing to see his charge growing up right before his eyes, but it was also something he took great pride in. Goku wasn't the same frightened kid he'd picked up on some abandoned mountain top. He was now a young man who was going to be legally allowed to drink within the next year. The gods help everyone, especially himself.

"Go where and to what?" he continued, irritated that he had to pry the information out of his charge. Normally, the trick with Goku was getting him to shut the hell up.

"To Hakkai an' Gojyo's house. This Friday. For th' poker game?"

Sanzo looked up slowly from the papers, squinting at the young man rocking back and forth on his feet and biting his lip nervously. Goku met his eyes briefly before quickly glancing to the side as a faint pink coloring came to his cheeks. Something was up, and it wasn't poker on Friday. "Spill it, monkey. What's going on?"

"Nothin'! Hakkai said ta remind you about poker on Friday," Goku replied quickly. A little _too_ quickly in his opinion. Hakkai was definitely plotting something, and Goku was definitely in on out. He was probably bribed with some form of food, the backstabbing glutton!

"This is the first I've heard about Friday at their place, and you damn well know it. Stop playing coy and tell me what's going on!"

"It's nothin', Sanzo!" Goku insisted firmly, standing perfectly still but still avoiding his gaze. Sanzo's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he waited for his charge to continue. "I just thought it'd be fun, y'know? All of us together again. It's been a really long time an' all. An' I wanna kick th' pervy kappa's ass!"

"You've never kicked Gojyo's ass, not in cards at any rate. I'm not going."

"C'mon, Sanzo! Pleeeeease?"

"I've got plans."

Goku flopped into one of the chairs and glowered at him. "Like what, sittin' 'round th' temple all night? Boooooring! Please, Sanzo? Pretty please? C'mon, pleeeeease?" Golden eyes went round and puppy like. Combined with the pleading… he knew he was screwed. Damn it.

Huffing and jerking his glasses off to toss on his desk, Sanzo rubbed his eyes as a migraine began to creep in. "Fine. Friday night poker at their house."

"YEAH! Thanks, Sanzo! It's gonna be so much fun makin' that kappa cry! Oh, an' can ya NOT wear your robes?"

Sanzo's head snapped upright at that request in order to level a suitably irritated glare in the quickly retreating man's back. "There's nothing wrong with my robes!" he snapped.

"Never said there was, but it'll be a lot more fun if you were just Sanzo for th' evenin'. Why do you wanna wear your monk stuff at a card game?" Goku laughed before disappearing out the door again with a final airy wave and at a dead run to avoid possible retribution.

Groaning as he sank back in his chair, Sanzo realized he was fucked. He was going to this thing whether he wanted to or not. And what the hell was with the demand that he change cloths? Granted, Goku did have a point about comfort, which would be needed if he had to deal with Gojyo all evening, but still... Sanzo stared at the door his charge had exited out of suspiciously, not quite trusting this whole thing. First, the invitation that Goku had tried to cover up by saying Hakkai had asked already. Then, the odd request for him to wear civilian clothing. Something was definitely way off the mark with all this.

But it looked like he'd have to wait until Friday to see what it was. And until Friday rolled around, that was probably going to be all that he could think about. Just what the hell were those three up to? He let out a low, controlled breath and dropped his pen on the desk as well. Screw the paperwork! How the hell was he expected to do _any_ work at all now?

* * *

Hakkai gave a happy sigh as he set the final platter of food on the small side table next to the main dining one. And to think, Gojyo had been opposed to purchasing the pretty piece of mahogany furniture! It was certainly better than crowding their card space with food. A quick glance at the clock said he had about three minutes before their guests would arrive. 

"Gojyo, it's almost seven!" he called as he stripped the apron off and folded it neatly before returning it to its proper drawer. He double-checked to make certain the t-shirt he wore was clean, recentered the spinning chip rack on their table and opened one more window to let in the faintly cool night breeze that came with the end of summer. "Gojyo?"

"I'm here, I'm here," Gojyo called, strolling into the room while giving his hair a final shake. He was dressed up a little more than would be expected for a casual card game, but he'd been true to his word and found himself a real date for the evening. Hakkai recognized the black button up shirt as one he had purchased for Gojyo and felt a surge of pride that he'd been correct about the size. It did look very nice against the kappa's tanned skin and red hair.

Hakkai slapped Gojyo's hand when the other man went to snitch a pot sticker from the pile of food, smiling at the scowl he got in return. The scowl was quickly replaced with a small grunt of thanks as a beer was handed his way. "Looks good, Hakkai. I guess I should marry you someday."

"Mmm… no, thanks. I'm pretty certain we already discussed what a horrible wife you would be."

Gojyo flashed a grin and took a seat at the clean dining room table, fingering the worn pack of cards in front of him with idle anticipation. "Think this is gonna work?"

"Well, the only wild card in this game is Sanzo. It depends on his mood, after all. He doesn't take kindly to trickery."

"But if it gets him his woman, he shouldn't complain. The dude hasn't gotten laid in over a year and I've got the bruises to prove it!"

Hakkai smiled and put on some light music through their new radio system, one that Sanzo hadn't seen the bill for yet. Gojyo had all but thrown himself on it when it came home in a large cardboard box. It was really quite pathetic… but it _was_ a very nice system. A low-key jazz piece came on, a very good choice for a casual party with friends. He added an extra ash tray to the table as well as a few coasters and one dish of peanuts for Goku to munch on just as a steady pounding came to their door knocker.

"Coming, Goku! Please, don't break the door down. Again," he called, waving Gojyo back to his seat as he jogged for the door. Goku was fascinated by the brass knocker on their door, so much so that he actually broke the door by playing with it too much. If it weren't for the fact that it would have upset the boy (pardon… young man) to dispose of the newly discovered toy, Hakkai probably would have done without it completely. He never did see the point in those things.

He opened the door on a breathless, grinning Goku and a very sour looking Sanzo. "Hello, Goku. Sanzo. Please, come in. Are those the new jeans we purchased, Goku?"

"Uh-huh," Goku piped up excitedly, heading directly for the mini buffet. "They're kinda stiff but I like 'em! Hey, can I eat now, Sanzo?"

"It's not my house, why are you asking me?" the monk muttered, glancing at the new radio system suspiciously. Hmm, maybe he'd already seen the bill for it. Frowning when he saw a fifth chair at the table, he asked, "Who else is coming?"

"Oh, a friend of mine from in town," Hakkai answered vaguely. "It's nice to see you dressed in plain clothing, Sanzo." It was a very rare occasion when Sanzo would leave the temple without his traditional garb. The khaki slacks and burgundy t-shirt definitely were less intimidating than a silk ivory robe and leather shirt.

"Yeah, you look almost human," Gojyo mocked.

The monk rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette before staring pointedly at the beer Gojyo was holding. Hakkai took the unspoken hint and pointed Sanzo (who wasn't too happy about getting his own beer) to the fridge before turning to make certain Goku didn't eat all the food. "Please help yourself to the beer, Sanzo. Gojyo, I suppose we can start dealing if you want."

"Are we using money, or just friendly bets?" the kappa called as another knock, this one much softer than Goku's and also to the wood of the door instead of the brass plate, drew Hakkai's attention away from their small party.

"Friendly bets, Gojyo," he answered as he opened the door once more and stepped back to let their final member enter. "Good evening, Yaone. I'm glad you found the place alright."

"I did, thank you," she answered with an uneasy smile as she stepped hesitantly into their house. She was twisting her fingers nervously in front of her as she glanced around their home approvingly. "You have a lovely-"

The familiar thud of a beer bottle hitting the kitchen floor cut her off completely. Gojyo was up in an instant and snagging a roll of paper towels to clean up the mess as Sanzo stood completely immobile, eyes wide and jaw looking as if it were permanently wired open. Goku was grinning from over by the side table, delight radiating from his face as his gaze went from Yaone to Sanzo and back again.

Only Hakkai noticed Yaone swallow hard, her fingers ceasing in their fidgeting to press against her stomach as if she were going to be sick. He hoped she wasn't ill. He'd just steam cleaned the area rug yesterday morning. "Hello, Sanzo," she said, her voice breathy and a little tense.

Sanzo continued to gape at her, unaware that Gojyo was standing right next to him with beer soaked paper towels in one hand and a mostly empty bottle of beer in the other. He blinked when the red head nudged him, too shocked to even muster a scowl as Gojyo gave him a wide, smug grin and an arched brow. "Well, you gonna go say hi to the lady and get outta my way, or am I gonna have to shove you and do it myself?" he teased.

Hakkai was hard pressed not to laugh at Sanzo's obvious bewilderment over seeing his former lover standing not even ten feet from him. Slowly, he moved back into the living room area to allow Gojyo to get to the sink. After a few futile attempts at speech, he finally managed a choked, "Hey."

"So, are we all gonna just stand here an' talk or are we gonna play poker?" Goku demanded around a mouthful of chicken.

"Yes, let's get started," Hakkai agreed, putting a gentle hand to Yaone's back to steer her toward the table. He purposely sat her between himself and Gojyo, putting her within eyesight of Sanzo as Goku was quick to scramble into the spot next to where a beer marked Gojyo's chair. "Gojyo, what time is your date?"

"I've gotta collect Ming-Na around nine," he said as he grabbed three beers from the fridge and twisted their caps off with the speed of constant practice. He swung into his seat, passing a bottle each down to Hakkai and Yaone. He grinned and winked at her, eyes seemingly drifting lower than they actually were. Hakkai could see very well that the illusion was caused by Gojyo lowering his eyelids just enough for his lashes to cover his eyes. The effect worked, if Sanzo's quickly clenched fists and tight jaw were any indication. "Of course, I'm willing to break her heart for a chance to play with the queen of that suit."

Yaone blushed at the compliment and quickly found her beer very interesting. She shrugged out of the blue jean jacket she had on, settling it neatly over the back of her chair before reaching for her beer. Hakkai quickly hid a smirk behind the pretence of drinking his own beer when it was noted by two men in the room that the simple black sundress she wore had thin straps to it and curved perfectly to her breasts. Sanzo's jaw softened, as did his eyes fractionally as he looked her over as casually as possible. Things were definitely turning out better than Hakkai had ever hoped!

Gojyo, unperturbed and lecherous as always, casually draped his arm over the back of her chair. He was very careful about keeping any part of his arm from touching her, aware that he was on extremely thin ice with the monk still standing across the room. "You gonna stand there all night or what, monk?" he taunted. "It's fine with me if you don't wanna come play. I'm fine just sitting here-,"

The chair scraped loudly as Sanzo dragged it out and sat down with an irritated huff and a warning glare at the kappa. He held out his hand demandingly and Gojyo handed him the open beer with a malicious little smile. Hakkai was aware of that piercing violet glare on him and turned with a questioning lift to his brows. "You're dead," he hissed. "All three of you."

"Now, now, Sanzo. We haven't even begun to play yet. Best save the death threats for a little later," Hakkai chided playfully. Goku snickered, but the sound was cut off as Sanzo swung his glare around in his direction. Yaone glanced nervously at Hakkai, and he answered her with a reassuring pat to her knee under the table. He began sorting out the chips, leveling everyone at a cap of one thousand yen to start with. "Gojyo, shall we?"

Easily falling into the role of dealer for their game, Gojyo's lips spread into wicked grin as he cut the cards and began to shuffle them, fingers moving almost faster than could be seen. Goku put his head down on the table to watch, fascinated as always with the way the kappa could shuffle. "Okay, gentlemen… and lady… five cards, no jokers, no wilds."

"Aw, man!" Goku complained. "Your rules suck, Gojyo!"

"Deal with it, baby chimp! My house, my poker game, my rules. Any more complaints before I kick all your asses?"

Hakkai cleared his throat and arched a brow in Gojyo's direction. Kick _his_ ass in cards?

Gojyo waved a hand in his direction and tossed his hair as he set the deck down in front of Goku to let the cut the deck. "Besides you, Hakkai."

"Why besides him?" Yaone ventured to ask. She was beginning to relax a little, which was more than fantastic. Hakkai certainly didn't want anyone feeling unwelcome in his house.

"Cuz nobody beats Hakkai in cards," Goku answered as he took another bite of his pork pot sticker.

Sanzo slapped him on the back of the head and muttered, "Eat with your mouth closed!"

Yaone bit back a smile as Goku rubbed his head and glared at his guardian. "That was really mean, Sanzo! Ya don't have ta hit me, y'know."

"So, the reason Hakkai is exempt from this kicking our ass plan that you have," Yaone commented as she picked her cards up and fanned them out with a sharpness of gesture that made everyone but Goku pause to look. Hakkai's eyes narrowed as she leaned back in her chair, her face instantly slipping into a perfectly calm expression. Hmm… it was obvious she had some experience in card games. That was something he hadn't expected. "Is because he always wins?"

"Pretty much," Gojyo answered before lighting a cigarette. "Or, at least no one's beaten him when he stays in the game. If his cards suck, obviously he folds out."

"Hm... Interesting."

Hakkai felt a little twinge of nerves crawl down his back at the apothecary's little hum of sound. She was marvelously smart, and very observant of a situation. He was beginning to think his initial impression of her might need some readjusting. Poker nights were going to be a lot more interesting if she was as good as he suspected. Perhaps tonight someone was going to beat him in an honest game. No bluffs, no calling… a hand to hand victory. What a thrilling thought!

Gojyo started the bet at five, which was called pretty much around the table. Hakkai glanced at his hand and carefully kept his expression blank. A two, a four, a ten and two jacks. He was split between three different options. One of them was more acceptable and more practical, and that would be going for a royal. But to be safe… he put down the two and held onto the jack, in case his luck changed and he needed to switch strategies.

Gojyo dealt out the assigned amount of cards that each player required. Sanzo took two, and by the faint flicker of clenching jaw muscles he wasn't happy he'd made that decision. Goku folded his completely and wanted a fresh hand. No need to look for subtle signs from him. He was all but bouncing up and down with delight over his hand. Gojyo threw in two himself and took two more. Hakkai waited, watching him closely. Not a single thing from him, not even a joke. He was still mulling over his hand. Yaone took two as well, but her face never changed. It was as if she had frozen herself into a perfect, comfortable expression that would never change. No nail tapping, no fidgeting. She was ice. Damn it.

The first round went to Goku be default. Hakkai couldn't draw the rest of royal to save his life and it seemed no one else could get their cards as well. Gojyo stayed in to call the man out and snarled angrily when his pairs of fives and sevens were beaten by Goku's four queens. "Un-fucking-believable!" he exclaimed. "The monkey gets all the girls, and I get stuck alone!"

"Haha, pervy kappa!" Goku crowed as he gathered his chips. "I got all your mooooneeey!"

"Yeah, yeah. You got lucky this time around. Anyone want another beer?"

Hakkai motioned that his bottle was empty before setting it into the trashcan behind him. Yaone meanwhile excused herself to get a plate of food. Goku was still carrying on about winning the opening hand while Sanzo lit a cigarette and stared as casually as he could over at the food table. He probably wasn't aware he was even doing it, Hakkai guessed, quickly ducking his head to hide the smirk. This really was too much fun!

The night wore away as chips exchanged hands. Every once in a while someone would get up for more food (usually Goku) or beer (usually Hakkai or Gojyo) and the play would stop until the missing person returned. The conversation was kept light and the fighting to a minimum between them. Three of the hands had actually come down to Hakkai against Yaone, who was a surprisingly deft player. She only won one of those hands, much to Goku's shock and Hakkai's delight. Even Gojyo seemed impressed, and he dealt with professional players on a nightly basis. The longer they all played, the easier the conversations became and the more relaxed the two the entire night had been planned around became.

They were on their last hand before Gojyo left for his date, and it was down to Sanzo, Yaone and the red head himself. Hakkai folded out early to start getting the baking utensils around, and Goku had lost interest in the game when he saw a cookie sheet pulled out. He was still sitting at the table for now, but all his attention was on the kitchen.

"So, monk, whaddya gonna do?" Gojyo taunted as he leaned back in his chair, crushing his cigarette out and blowing the smoke away from Yaone.

Sanzo gave him a slow, cold twist of lips as he replied, "You mean what am I going to do after I win this hand?"

"Like hell you're gonna win! You're bluffing, it's all over your face. He's bluffing, right, Yaone?"

Yaone smiled and shook her head, eye darting in Sanzo's direction. "I'm not telling you, Gojyo."

"So cruel! What happen to the sweet, kind, polite explosives expert who knows poisons inside and out?"

"Your beer's getting cold, Gojyo. Perhaps you should drink it a little faster," she responded with just enough of a darker tone to her voice to suggest that she'd slipped something in it.

Gojyo arched a brow, looked at his beer suspiciously, looked back at her… and slid the tinted bottle as far from himself as possible and closer to Goku's seat. "Yo, monkey! Wanna beer?"

"What? Can I really?" Goku piped up, completely oblivious to Yaone stifling her laughter and Sanzo shaking his head as he… smiled? Sanzo was smiling? It wasn't a full-blown smile that flashed teeth, but there was no mistaking the curve to his lips. Hakkai almost dropped the cooling rack in shock. He hadn't seen Sanzo give a real, honest-to-God smile in a _long_ time! The change it made on his face was incredible.

"Suuuure. You're a man now. Go for it," Gojyo encouraged with a wink in Yaone's direction.

Goku grabbed the beer bottle excitedly and began to move it toward his mouth. He frowned, peering down the long neck at the amber liquid within. "Hey… how come it's half empty?"

"Probably 'cause I drank half of it," Gojyo snickered, grinning and holding up an arm to block the punch aimed for his side. He quickly caught the retreating fist, his grin widening as Goku's scowl deepened. A brief tug-o-war ensued as Goku tried to break free and the red head refused to let go. He finally freed the younger man when Sanzo's glare began to slip from annoyed to homicidal.

"EW! Nasty kappa-pervert-cockroach! I don't wanna drink your crap beer!" Goku exclaimed as he practically sprinted into the kitchen to throw it out, dangling the bottle between a finger and his thumb as if it were contagious. "Sanzo, are ya gonna sit there while he tries ta infect me with his lechy germs?"

"You didn't see me stand up to stop him, did you?" the monk replied as he lifted his cards off the table and took a quick look. He threw in a few chips and said, "Call." Goku continued to mutter about how mean that was as he joined Hakkai in the kitchen to begin their baking sleep over party.

"Well, everyone's called, so let's flip 'em and see," the red head drawled. He dropped his hand face up on the table, a triumphant grin on his face. "Four sixes! So, Yaone, I've showed you mine. Lemme see yours."

Yaone had to have been aware of the irritated growl coming from the monk's direction, but she ignored it as she sighed wistfully. "Unfortunately, mine isn't all that impressive," she murmured, showing that she had a pair of eights and a pair of fours. "I really hadn't expected you to stay in through the end."

"Persistent is my middle name," he replied with an edge of a flirtatious purr to his voice. He leaned just a little closer to her, once again pretending that he was looking further down her body… or maybe he actually was this time. It was hard for Hakkai to tell from the kitchen, what with the distance and his constantly having to slap Goku's hands away from the chocolate chips.

"No, it's persistent-pain-in-my-ass," Sanzo corrected as he crushed out his cigarette and drained the rest of his fourth beer. "And you lost."

Scowling, Gojyo sat back and demanded, "Is that so, asshole? Then lemme see what you're packing!"

Sanzo's lips lifted into a cold smirk of utter triumph as he slowly began laying his cards out on the table. Hakkai and Goku both leaned over the counter to see. The queen of clubs…queen of spades… queen of diamonds… and lastly, the queen of hearts. "Four queens."

"Son of a BITCH!" Gojyo exploded, jumping up from the table in disgust. "That makes two hands now where the ladies didn't love me. _Two!_ My luck isn't worth shit tonight!"

"It's not worth shit on most days either," Sanzo quipped as he watched Yaone stack the chips back into their holder. He quickly looked away when she lifted her gaze from the table, pausing briefly on him before surveying the mess that used to be the living room. Hakkai understood the pained look on her face very well and knew it wasn't at all because of the monk's seeming disinterest. Leaving the place in such a shambles was very hard on a compulsive cleaner. If it weren't for the fact that he was actually looking forward to baking cookies with Goku, he would have been in there cleaning it up straight away.

Gojyo flicked Sanzo off and scooped his cigarettes up from the table, tucking them into his back pocket. He nodded toward the kitchen where Hakkai was setting up a mixing bowl and still slapping Goku's hands away from the chocolate chips. Honestly, he was beginning to understand why Sanzo kept the fan on his person at all times! "You kiddies have fun. Daddy's gonna go out and play for a bit," the kappa called cheerfully.

"Have fun, Gojyo," Hakkai called as he opened the cupboard that housed his new collection of cookbooks. They had been a birthday present, technically, from Gojyo. His friend had made a rather impressive amount of money during a night out and had woken up early to take Hakkai to the bookstore with the simple instructions of 'go crazy'. He did, and it was glorious. Gojyo's footsteps moved with a solid confidence across the floor, followed closely by the door shutting as he left for his evening out. Hakkai turned in time to see Goku quickly snatching his hand away from the open bag of candy. "Goku, stop eating the chocolate chips. We can't bake cookies without them."

"Sorry, Hakkai," he said guilty, his voice a little muffled by the small handful of chips he more than likely already had in his mouth.

Sighing at the futility of telling Goku to stop eating, Hakkai finally managed to find the cookbook he wanted and closed the cupboard. He did a quick index check to find the correct recipe and flipped through to it. "Now, it says we should get about 3 dozen out of this, but considering how much dough you end up snitching… we can possibly squeak out a dozen or so."

"No dough," Sanzo ordered sharply as he finished his cigarette. "The last time you let him have it he threw up all over the place."

"Ah, yes! I remember now. Those were the New Year cookies, weren't they?"

"I don't remember anything but vomit all over my boots. No dough."

Hakkai chuckled to himself as he leaned over the counter for the flour canister. "Goku, would you please get me the large measuring cup and the sifter?"

"Sure thing! Th' sifter's that funny thing with the handle, right?" he called as he began opening and closing cupboard doors in search of the necessary items.

"That's a rather vague description of a sifter, but I suppose that's what you're looking for. Oh, and don't worry about cleaning up out there, Yaone! I can do that in the morning." The apothecary had just entered with an armful of dirty dishes and platters from the buffet set up.

"I really don't mind, Hakkai," she insisted, setting her load down on the counter.

"That's very kind of you, and I'm certain you _don't_ mind… but I do. They'll be fine until the morning."

Still looking doubtful over his decision, she didn't push the topic further and instead went to put her jacket back on. "I suppose I should get going as well then," she said quietly, a faint trace of sadness creeping into her voice. Clearly, she thought the plan had failed miserably. Little did she know that the plan wasn't quite over yet. She forced a cheerful smile and waved toward the kitchen as she made her way for the door. "Thank you for having me over, Hakkai. It was fun."

"Just a moment, Yaone," Hakkai called quickly as he grabbed Goku's wrist in mid grab for some more chocolate chip. Ignoring the younger man's hissed 'owowowows', he gave her his most innocently polite smile and said, "I really can't allow a lady to walk home alone at night."

"It's not that far, and besides-," she argued, eyes widening when she realized his intent. She turned her back on where Sanzo was watching them both with narrowed, suspicious eyes and tried mouthing the word 'no' to him. Luckily for her, Hakkai was only beginning to learn how to read lips. He had just started taking a class on it over the weekends at the same place he took the correspondence course on lock picking. Marvelous little school, really.

"I won't hear of it," he cut her off. "Sanzo, would you mind seeing Yaone home safely? I'm sorry to ask you, but Gojyo's already left and, as you can see, Goku and I are occupied at the moment."

"Do I really have a choice in the matter?" the monk asked sarcastically as he walked over to the door. He jerked it open, teeth clenched and back ramrod straight in annoyance at having walked right into the set up. Yaone, blushing a shade of red Hakkai had never seen before, mumbled her thanks again as she hurried out the door in front of him. Hakkai smiled sweetly at Sanzo as the monk snarled, "We're having a talk in the morning, Hakkai."

"I look forward to it, Sanzo. Have a good night!"

The door slammed shut after them and Hakkai let out a huge sigh of relief. Laughing nervously, he glanced over at Goku, whose worried attention was fixed solidly on the door. "Well, that went fairly smoothly, didn't it?"

"Yeah. I s'pose so," Goku muttered. "Ya think they're gonna get back together, Hakkai?"

"Yes. Maybe."

Goku groaned and dropped his head to the counter top. "It's never good when ya say 'yes, maybe'. That's two answers in one! Everything better be okay, after all we did. I'm gonna be really ticked off if it isn't."

Hakkai patted Goku's back soothingly and said, "Goku, would you mind getting the eggs from the fridge? We still have cookies to back." Goku would be pissed... but he would be livid if it didn't work.

* * *

Goddamned plotting bastards! Goddamn smarmy Hakkai and his plans! And when the _hell_ did Yaone get into town, and why the _hell_ wasn't he told about it immediately? Sanzo lit up as soon as the door was closed, noting that Yaone was waiting for him at the corner of the small lane leading up to the house. The curve to her shoulders suggested she was disappointed with the evening, but he didn't know why for the life of him. It was funny how he could still remember things like that about her.

He sucked down a hit of nicotine and released it slowly into the slightly chill air of late summer. In the morning, he was going to make the three of them wish they'd never taken their first breath of life. Tonight though… he was walking Yaone home.

Home. When the _fuck_ did she get a home in his town? Hakkai would stay alive long enough to answer all these questions, seeing as he was undoubtedly the mastermind behind the entire scheme, but the other two would die quickly. Why wouldn't they tell him something like this?

It had been over a year since he last saw her, and that had been on a battlefield. Hell, a few of the scars he now sported were due to her explosives. After what had happened with Goku… he'd needed time away from everyone. It hadn't happened. That pansy prick of a bishop (who was now very dead, thank the gods) hadn't allowed for it. But the break from their group had given him a chance to think things over a bit, and had caused him to come to a near faith-shaking conclusion. Yaone had been right, completely. He couldn't expect to have any sort of relationship without allowing people into his world.

It had still taken several months after he returned to the group before he'd felt capable of trying to do just that. Goku was the first target, followed soon by Hakkai and even that dumb ass kappa to a certain extent. He was never going to be all fluffy and open and showing his emotions to the world… but it wasn't so bad admitting that he did care about some of the people in his life. Even the worthless kappa.

He paused when he was standing next to Yaone, his cigarette in one hand and his eyes fixed on her as she looked anywhere but at him. She was uncomfortable. Good, so was he. It wasn't fucking fair to spring his ex-girlfriend on him like that! He knew from the ease with which she'd greeted him upon entering the house that she'd known he would be there. A trifle irritating… but if her reasoning behind agreeing to this whole plan was for the purpose of getting his attention, he could over look it easily.

"So, are we walking or are we just standing out here all night?" he asked dryly, flicking ash neatly from the end of his cigarette.

He caught a hint of her smile at the joke as she ventured a slightly playful glance upward. "Well, I'm not sure how Hakkai would feel about us camping in his front yard… so, maybe we should walk."

Sanzo motioned for her to proceed him, seeing as he had no idea where she lived. Hell, until a couple hours ago, he hadn't even known she was in town! He walked next to her, switching his cigarette to the other hand to keep the smoke from blowing into her face. It was an automatic gesture, one that surfaced from when they'd been together. The movement was a simple one, but it stirred up memories he'd thought were firmly buried and locked away; conversations held while sitting on the floor of a random inn, the chess game from hell she'd insisted on playing on the sloped roof of another inn, sudoku puzzles over breakfast, waking up with her hair in his mouth, covering his eyes and wrapped around his fingers…

Which brought up a topic of conversation. "You cut your hair."

"I cut all of them, actually," she joked, smiling as he rolled his eyes. He'd almost forgotten the really lame jokes she liked to tell, funny only because she knew they were lame and got a kick out of making him groan with them. "Your hair's a lot shorter, too."

He grimaced and resisted the urge to finger the bare back of his neck. "It wasn't supposed to be this short, but one of the juvenile's got a little happy with his scissors. This is actually longer than the finished product had been."

Yaone's eyes widened as she covered her gasp of laughter with her hand. "Good God, was he trying to shave you bald?" she asked, the laughter coming through in her words.

Sanzo felt his lips twitch as he took a hit from his smoke and shook his head. "Who knows? I'm just glad it's coming back in at all."

"I rather like it," she said quietly, suddenly finding the ground before her feet very interesting. "It looks nice."

He arched a brow but didn't reply to that while making a mental note to just get his hair trimmed the next time he needed it. They came out onto the main street of the town, which was still fairly busy with the evening crowd coming in to the local bars. Only a few stares were directed his way from people who managed to figure out the blond in civilian attire was actually a sanzo monk. They didn't make a big production out of it, thank the gods. That was the last thing he really needed to deal with.

Yaone led him up the street about three blocks and cut right down a smaller side street that made its way back into the wooded area pressing up close to the town. Sanzo followed her as the noise from the town began to fade away into blessed silence. The apartments and inns began to break apart into large communal houses, which then began to shrink into small, private homes. He couldn't help but keep his guard up as the continued on into the section of town that hosted the growing youkai population. This section wasn't exactly the most upscale in the town, and he couldn't help the fact that he was constantly prepared for an attack still.

"How long have you been here?" he asked as the houses began to grow farther apart, allowing a little space for wire fenced yards and small gardens. A dog barked in warning from a yard not too far away, prompting its owner to come out the swinging screen door to check what it was going on about. He saw them walking, scratched a clawed hand against the back of his neck and walked back inside, unphased by two people walking slowly down a dark, deserted road.

Yaone slowed down, turning just enough to look back at him while she continued walking. "You're going to be angry when I tell you," she said with a worried lilt to her words.

"Just tell me."

"Four months." She passed under a dim light just as she said it, allowing him to see her cringe clearly.

"Shit, Yaone!" he swore, stopping dead in his tracks at that shock. Four fucking months and she hadn't bothered to even say hi? What the fuck?

"Please, don't be upset!" she said quickly, coming over to him with her hands outstretched as if to placate him.

"You've been here for four damn months without a word, and you don't want me to be upset?" he shouted, mind still reeling over that piece of news. _Four months!_

The dog owner came out again as the mutt began to bark with renewed vigor. The lights went on in the house they were standing outside of and curious faces were beginning to peek out. Yaone's eyes closed in irritation as her jaw tightened. Without warning, she grabbed his hand and pulled him at a quick pace behind her. The shock over how long she'd been in town was quickly replaced by the shudder that went down his spine at the feel of her familiar hand in his again. Damn…

Neither of them said a word as she hurried them along the narrow path that wound down a small hill and into the woods. The trees were thin, a few house lights dotting the darkness under the leaves, and everything had a stillness to it that was soothing. The temple was quiet, too, but it wasn't like this. This silence had a touch of life in the sound of insects stringulating and the call of nocturnal birds that carried on the faint breeze. He wasn't sure if it was the scenery that did it or the fact that even after they'd left the sights of any nosy neighbors and she was still holding his hand that did it, but his immediate irritation over her announcement had faded into something so small he could dismiss it. What did it really matter anyway? He knew she was here now, so…

So, what? Did this mean she wanted to get back together? Or was she trying to close that door completely by being here now? He didn't dare hope for the first option, even though he wouldn't have minded that at all. Chances were more than likely she was trying to make a fresh start here, as were all the youkai that were moving in, and wanted to make sure it wasn't awkward with him.

It would be just like her to do some noble shit like that.

Sanzo spotted a small house at the bottom of another dip in the landscaping. It was one story with a flat roof and he could tell even in the dim light of the moon that it needed to be painted. A small wooden fence surrounded the little parcel of land that went with it, the gate marked by two bushes that needed some pruning desperately. The house wasn't dilapidated or anything, it just needed a few repairs. It was fairly non-descriptive, and he wouldn't have recognized it from any other house in the area except for one thing; it had a front porch that stretched across the entire front of the house, complete with a swinging bench. He remembered her saying something about always wanting one of those things and knew even before she pulled the house key from her coat pocket that this was her place.

Yaone let go of his hand, much to his disappointment, to open the door. She had to push her shoulder into the warped wooden frame, earning a loud screeching sound from the door as it fought her entering the place. She fumbled next to the door for the light switch, filling the front room with a dull yellow glow from an old light fixture. "It's… a little messy," she explained as she made an embarrassed gesture at the half assembled furniture lying around and the boxes and packages that remained unopened. "But, this is it."

He nodded as he looked around, still standing outside on the porch. He noted the paint cans lined along a wall that needed to have its dry wall patched up. The kitchen was off to the left and from what he could tell it was a decent size. That and the porch swing were probably what sold her on the place. A short, dark hall way led back to what he could only assume was the bedroom. She wasn't using it yet if the futon that was currently folded into a couch position amidst the boxes and furniture pieces was any indication. There was a blanket stretched out across it, as well as a lumpy looking pillow.

"Nice," he said, and he meant it. With the exception of the work needed to fix it, this was exactly the type of house he could see her in.

She blushed lightly at the compliment, folding her hands in front of her as she looked around her house as well. He was beginning to feel uneasy standing on the porch. She hadn't exactly invited him in, but he didn't want to leave on the off chance that maybe she would. Not that she really had any reason to or anything… but just in case. Finally, after a few minutes of standing around and looking like an idiot (which annoyed the hell out of him), Sanzo took a step back from the door to leave, turning his back to her without another word. Shit!

"Um, Sanzo?"

He stopped as she called his name, his chest tight and his heart beat speeding up a little. "What?"

"Do you… I mean… would you like to stay? For some tea? Obviously, not in _here_, but perhaps on the porch…?"

Sanzo couldn't help the smile or the surge of relief that went through him, glad that his back was to her so she couldn't see his reaction to her question. "Sure. Why not?" he answered before moving off to the side and taking a seat on the swing, sitting on the side of his hip so he could watch her in the kitchen through the curtainless window. He could have sworn he heard her utter a sigh of relief before she began making noise in the kitchen, filling a kettle and setting out cups.

She was smiling the entire time she made tea, which brought about a return of that warm feeling in his chest he had always associated with her. It had taken her leaving him, Goku's near death and a month away from everyone before he could finally admit to what exactly that sensation of warmth was. He ran his fingers back through his woefully short hair, smirking when she jerked her finger away from a rapidly heating copper kettle. The smirk disappeared as she sucked that finger into her mouth, which prompted _other_ memories to…

No. None of that. They were talking, that was all.

About a minute later and the shrill whistle of a teakettle announcing that the water was ready broke through the calm night air. Yaone wrapped a towel around the curving handle over the pot and set the whole thing on a tray to bring outside. She smiled a little shyly at him as she set the tray on the small white wicker table in front of the swing, pulling a candle lighter from her pocket to light the oil wicks inside the old fashioned lanterns on either side of the door. Something would have to be done about that. It was definitely a fire hazard, especially with how dry the wood was and the chipped paint surrounding the lanterns.

"I know you're not much of a tea drinker, but I'm all out of instant coffee," she said apologetically as she poured the steaming water carefully into earth brown and rusty red teacups and set a teabag into each one. She set one on a saucer and handed it to him with another quick flash of a smile before she prepared her own cup and took the seat next to him. Sanzo took a sip from the still steeping tea and tried to ignore the fact that she was sitting closer to him than was necessary. There was plenty of space for her to have put some distance between them… but he liked the fact that she didn't.

"So, your boss let you go?" he asked, enjoying the way her knee brushed against his on the seat. She was sitting sideways as well, allowing them to look each other in the eye as they talked.

Yaone laughed gently, her fingers playing idly with the much shorter ends of her hair. The last time he'd seen her hair down it was long enough for her to sit on it. Now, it barely reached mid back. He liked it better like this, short enough to be easily managed but long enough to run his fingers through… which he was _not_ thinking about doing. "More or less," she answered. "I still have to report back every six months or so, to follow up with how my apprentice is doing and to also give Dokugakuji a break from watching Lirin."

"And how long are the return trips?"

"Only a few weeks at most. Definitely not longer than a month. Lord Kougaiji won't keep me away from my house for very long."

"How is the new king? Last I heard, he'd finished tracking down the last of Koushu's army and was shipping them away to some kind of prison outpost."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, denying the rumor completely. "It's true he found the last of the resisting soldiers, but he's not imprisoning them. They're actually being used for manual labor, to help repair the damage they'd done to the area. It's been hard on him… but he's made an unbelievable change already for his people. I'm just glad I was able to help him get to this point."

Sanzo nodded, satisfied with the report. He was still under orders from the Three Aspects to keep tabs on how the new King of the Youkai was making out. Apparently not even the gods thought this was completely over. For once he was inclined to agree with them. "He gives you permission to do whatever the hell you want, so you come out to this hell hole?" he asked, only half joking about the hell hole part.

Yaone turned her eyes down toward her steaming teacup, catching her lower lip in her teeth in yet another gesture he knew too well. Another bolt of warmth shot through him at the sight of the movement, and just like that all his questions were answered. She really _had_ come all this way to try and start again.

"I really couldn't think of anywhere else to go," she said sheepishly. She ventured to meet his gaze steadily, a trace of fear intermingling with the warm glow of affection in her eyes. It was enough to make his breath get caught in his chest and something that felt very close to hope course through his system. "Or anywhere else I'd rather be," she added, her voice dropping to a whisper.

His breath finally managed to escape with only the faintest trace of the relieved sigh he had to fight to keep from being voiced further. She _was _here to try again. She was reaching out to him one final time, making yet another sacrifice in her life for him by leaving everything she'd known thousands of miles away. He'd be an absolute moron to let her get away again, not that he ever had any intentions of allowing that this time.

Sanzo put his teacup on the table and resettled himself on the bench to face her as she waited for his response. Yaone was barely breathing, eyes wide as she studied him intently. The minute his hand touched hers, her eyes closed and her shoulders curved as the nervous tension left her completely. Her fingers curled around his firmly, as if she wasn't going to be letting go anytime soon. That was fine with him if she didn't.

His free hand trailed down her cheek gently before she turned to press her cheek to his palm, his thumb brushing across her lower lip. She was shaking a little, making him aware of just how nervous she'd been that he wouldn't want her there. It was over a year since he'd last seen her, and their parting wasn't exactly sweet sorrow… but he hadn't bothered trying to fill the void she'd left. There wasn't anyone that could, and it had taken her leaving for him to realize that.

Sanzo waited as she rubbed her free hand against her eyes, laughing with eyes that looked a little wet. "Sorry," she apologized. "That just came out of nowhere."

"You're fine," he said before giving her a mock scowl. "I thought I told you not to apologize for stupid shit."

Yaone rolled her eyes, a smile breaking across her face as he tucked her hair behind her ear. "Oh, so me crying is now classified as stupid shit?" she teased back.

He shrugged before making a quick grab for her wrist when she went to shove his chest playfully. She struggled half-heartedly to free herself before submitting by twining her fingers with his and laughing under her breath. "You're still an asshole," she muttered, but there was nothing except warmth in her voice as she said it.

"I have to be. I'm surrounded by idiots day in and day out," he shot back, smirking as she caught the implied insult.

Yaone's jaw dropped as she sat back from him, still maintaining contact through their hands. "You know, that's some thanks I get. I quit my job, pack up more boxes than I know what to do with, move thousands of miles away to the middle of nowhere-,"

"-All of which are your own fault, not mine."

"-Just to have you call me an idiot," she finished with a scowl that wasn't as threatening as he knew it could be. It was probably due to the laughter brightening her eyes.

Sanzo shrugged again and said, "You can add masochism to your list of complaints, seeing as you had to come all this way just to be insulted."

"How did I ever put up with you? I swear to God…" She shook her head in disbelief, her thumbs rubbing the backs of his hands gently.

He squeezed her hands, tugging her arms to get her attention. They'd have time to continue this _riveting_ discussion later. Right now, he needed to fix something he shouldn't have broken to begin with. "Hey, what was that question you asked me?"

Yaone's back tensed noticeably at his words, but this time it wasn't due to nerves. She knew exactly which question he was referring to, the one that had sealed their break from each other. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath and released it slowly before speaking in a soft voice. "I… I think it was something involving love. Why?"

"I've got an answer for you now. _If_ you want to ask it again."

She looked damned near close to tears again as she looked him in the eye and whispered, "Sanzo, do you love me?"

Sanzo held her gaze as he managed to voice his answer around the tightness in his throat. "Yes." It was a damned hard thing to get out still, even after a year of getting used to admitting that he did care for a few people in the world. Once the word was out though, it felt easy and natural to say in response to that question. He didn't think he'd ever be able to repeat the three words that were normally considered a standard response to someone admitting they loved a person. It was so… not him. But a one worded affirmation? Yeah, he could handle that.

Apparently, so could she. Yaone nodded, a smile that was nothing but pure joy lighting up her face. "Well," she said with another satisfied nod of her head. "It's about damn time you found an answer to that question. I was considering asking someone else-,"

Sanzo rolled his eyes and used her hand that he was still holding to tug her closer. "Shut the hell up. It only took you a fucking year to come and _get_ the answer," he shot back. Before she could get a comeback in, he kissed her. It had always been a very effective way to end a conversation, and he hoped like hell he'd get the chance to keep ending conversations with her in the future.

Apparently the trick still worked, or else he was totally misreading the way her lips parted for his tongue to slip into her mouth, touching hers hesitantly. The hesitancy disappeared quickly as she responded, his hand moving to the back of her neck to angle her closer to him. She wrapped her arm around his neck, a pleased hum of sound coming from her as the kiss deepened just a little further. Underneath the taste of tea was her, and he almost forgotten just how damn good she tasted against his mouth.

Yaone pulled back from the kiss first, a small gasp coming from her as her fingers combed through the back of his hair. Yet another gesture from before that came back so naturally. Both of them breathing a little harder from the intensity of the first kiss they'd shared in over a year. "Sanzo?"

"Hm?" It was about the most verbose thing he could reply with at that moment. Damn, he'd almost forgotten how much he liked her mouth.

"This is going to sound completely wrong, and I'm not asking it for any… _alternative reasons_, but… would you like to stay the night?"

Sanzo felt a smirk coming on as he leaned his forehead to hers, running a hand up and down her blue jean covered arm lightly. "I suppose I could put up with paint fumes for one night."

She smiled as she pressed a light, lingering kiss to his mouth before she stood up, catching his hand as she did so. Yaone didn't need to pull hard to get him to his feet. She walked backward into the house, smiling the entire time she guided him in. Sanzo shut the door after he'd cleared the frame, kicking the stubborn wood into place all the way before locking it.

* * *

AUTHOR'S FINAL BIT: And that is officially the end of this project! A side note to those who will argue the presence of radio equipment in Saiyuki: If you look at the panels in the manga of the Jeep, there's a radio in the dashboard. Also, in a couple of the flash back panels of Gojyo's place, there's what looks like a radio of some kind. -shrugs- I'm a geek, what can I say?

A big shout out and thank you to the people who helped shape the last chapter up: Greyliliy, Qualapec-the-She-Wolf, redbrunja, ssjbento, Shinigamis Wrath... and I think that's it. Thank you guys for you wonderful in put and for being amazing plot bunny killers. Much appreciated, as is your friendship. Thank you also to LilyGinnyBlack and renegadekitsune for being a marvelously wonderful influences in certain aspects of this entire fic.

For anyone looking for more Sanzo and Yaone stories and don't wanna wait until I get the next project for them underway, here are two other authors doing something for them:

WRITER: ASHauni21

STORY: Entwined

WRITER: Qualapec-the-She-Wolf

STORY: At The End Of The Tunnel

I really do recommend both stories. They're both wonderful writers. And if anyone knows of any more fic writers doing something for this pairing, please make mention of them in a review so everyone else can enjoy them.

Also, please do check out Jessie Katz's website, where she alone has permission to post the unedited version of this fic. If anyone is truly interested in a continuation to this fic, I WILL be writing one, but it will only be posted on my Live Journal, not FFNet. The reasons behind this are a little lengthy to get into, but that's where it will be. Just do a search for my screen name (nimblnymph) or the name of my journal: Where The Muses Come To Play

And thank you to Moon'sWing for the marvelous fanart pieces. Those comics were fantastically wonderful. Happy birthday, m'dear! A thanks and hugs go out to Greyliliy and blahsblah2001 for the lovely art for this pairing as well. You guys sure know how to make a girl giggle!

Finally... I want everyone who took the chance on this story and this pairing to overdose yourself on pocky and glomp yourselves into the ground for me. I'd do it in person if I could. Whether you liked the story or not, I really do appreciate you even bothering with it. To those who reviewed for this, again positive or negative... all of your comments were read and appreciated. I'm sorry if I haven't responded to them, but they WERE read. Thank you.

And... that's officially it! Good-bye!


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